Quest to Live
by Jessolt
Summary: A world apart, Harry and Ranma were both pondering their future when they discovered they didn't have one unless they took action against a threat from the world of Norrath. Harry/Multi; Ranma/Multi. Set in the Everquest II world.
1. Welcome to Norrath

**Summary**: A world apart, Harry and Ranma were pondering their future when they discovered they didn't have one unless they took action against a threat from the world of Norrath. Harry/Multi; Ranma/Multi. Set in the Everquest II world.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter, Ranma ½, Everquest II, or any of the other people/places you may recognize. I do own Jessolt, who is a character I created to play Gold Box AD&D games. This disclaimer applies to the whole story.

**AN**: This mostly complies with canon except for the HP epilogue. Where it doesn't is either I have forgotten, gotten confused with fan fiction, or changed to suit my purposes. Just chalk up any differences to being an AU. Jessolt is a bit of a self insert but his only purpose is to introduce the characters to Norrath and to get them started on their quest. Most of the other characters encountered are NPC's (non player characters) although Jessolt or one of my other characters may pop up from time to time if needed to move the story along.

[Plane of Justice]

The being known as the Truth-bringer frowned as he closed the scrying.

"The fool!", he thought to himself. "Not only is is likely to destroy Norrath with his vain attempt to become a god but the world he plans to use for the source of the power he requires as well. I'm constrained from acting against him directly and he has made it so that no one of Norrath will be able to move against him."

"Hmm, I need to contact the All-Father and request his support. I will need him to approach the heroes I need to borrow from Earth."

[Nemeria, Japan]

The pig-tailed young man lay on the roof watching the evening sky. He thought about the time since the failed wedding and sighed. The old man and Mr. Tendo still were pushing him to marry Akane especially since he was now eighteen but he and Akane felt more like brother and sister. At least, Nabiki was being nicer these days, like she cared for him like family instead of something the furry demon dragged in.

"Ranma, you have a visitor!", Kasumi called up from below.

"Ok, I'll be right down." He flipped off his back and jumped to the ground. He entered the family room and saw a beautiful young woman sipping tea.

"Ranma, this is Miss Belldandy. She needs to discuss some things with you and some of your friends."

At that moment, Shampoo popped in followed by Uchan. "I brought too-too good ramen for husband's supper. Much better than Spatula-girls food. Who girl? Better not be Fiancée!"

Belldandy smiled. "No, I did not come seeking Mr Saotome for that reason. I have been sent to ask for his help and that of some of you."

"What kind help ya needing?" Ranma looked closer at Belldandy. "And why do you need my help? You radiate more power than anyone I have ever met, including Saffron, the Phoenix God-King."

"Yes, I do have more power than Saffron but I am not permitted to go where the problem is or take any direct action. You and the four young ladies can, if you are willing."

"Now wait a minute, I can sorta understand Shampoo and Uchan 'cause they are martial artists but Kasumi and Nabiki? " Ranma shook his head. "They don't have the training to stand up in the kind of fights I get into."

"There are other ways to aid in this battle and training will be provided", Belldandy replied. "It is best if a team knows and can trust its members, especially as this will involve traveling to another world in another reality."

Nabiki spoke up and said, "What kind of problem are we talking about here and why should we get involved?"

Belldandy frowned slightly and the room seemed to darken slightly. "There is a being on this world, which is called Norrath by the way, who is attempting to siphon energy from our world. If he is not stopped, in five to ten years Earth will become a frozen waste and most of the population will die. The world would take centuries to recover. The gods of Norrath can not intervene direct either and have asked for our help to prevent both worlds from being destroyed."

"You are not the only team being asked to go so you should have help. The other team or teams will have different experiences and skills. That should help improve the odds. I will not lie to you, you will only return if you succeed. But if, no WHEN you succeed you may bring anything you acquire there back with you."

"How long we taking about, sugar?", Uchan asked.

"Regardless of how much time it takes you there, you will return 24 hours from the time you left."

Ranma scratched his chin. "I guess doin' somethin' is better than just waiting for someone else to fix the problem. So I'm in. Still don't think it is a good idea to include the girls but it's up to them."

"Where husband go, Shampoo go. Not risking letting other world girls get hooks into husband."

"I'm going too. I'll have to leave a note for Konatsu at the restaurant but one day won't kill the business."

"I've good too much invested in Ranma so I will go to keep him out of as much trouble as I can.", Nabiki stated.

"I will go as well." Everybody looked at Kasumi. "I usually don't get to go on any adventures so even if I just cook and clean, I want to help."

Belldandy smiled. "I sure you will have a greater contribution than that, Kasumi. However, I need to take care of a few things. Ranma, where you are going, your problem with cats would be disruptive and possible cause your mission to fail. Therefore, Bast has allowed me to remove your fear of cats. No, I can not fix your problem with water. I can't fix Shampoo's either but I can change it from a cat into a cat-girl."

"One last thing." Belldandy wave her hand and Ranma with the four girls glowed white with bands of light linking them. "That should keep you together and be strong for each other. It is time for you to go."

"Wait, what about my note?", Uchan protested.

"I will leave notes here, at your restaurant, and with Shampoo's great-grandmother. Be careful and return safely." With another wave of Belldandy's hand they were gone.

"I wish the soul bond had not been necessary but Father insisted. I wonder what the result of that will be?" Belldandy thought to herself. With that, she turned to a mirror and stepped through.

At the Cat Cafe, a note appeared in front of an old woman. Reading it she wondered, "Granddaughter, what are you and son-in-law up to now."

[Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, Scotland]

A young man with messy, black hair and startling green eyes sat looking out over the lake and thinking.

"The funerals are finally over. I wish so many people didn't have to die before we managed to stop the egotistical madman. Too bad no one could have stopped Tom Riddle before he started the madness."

"I wonder if the goblins are still pissed at me for breaking into Gringotts to get the cup. It would help to know what my money situation is. Maybe I should ask Shacklebolt for a job with the aurors."

A loud pop indicated the arrival of a house elf. "Winky is seeing that Harry Potter is still not eating properly. Not sleeping 'nuff either. Winky be bringing Harry Potter sir food and butterbeer so sir will eat."

"Thank you, Winky. I have not really felt like eating much lately with what has happened recently."

"Harry Potter sir needs to eat to keep up his strength to do things that need doin'. Healer lady be angry with you if you end up in her place. Friends be unhappy as well."

Another voice interrupted. "There you are, Harry. Luna and I wondered where you had got off to so we came looking for you. It figures that you would be in your thinking spot."

"Well I did need to think a bit, 'Monie.", Harry replied. "This spot is quiet and comfortable."

"And gets you away from the attention you love so much, eh Potter?"

"I suppose that is true, Greengrass. I never liked all the fame and still don't. Not that I mind, but what brings you here?"

"Same reason as you, I guess. Looking for peace and quiet. I'll just keep looking."

"Ah, you are all here together. That makes things so much easier.", a grandfatherly voice said from behind them.

"Makes what easier and who are you, sir?", Hermione asked of the white haired man behind them.

"Why, to talk to the five of you of course. I'm afraid the world needs your help again. It's not one of those prophecy things and there are other people who will be helping. And yes, Winky, you are included. Oh, you would know me as Merlin."

"You can't be Merlin, at least not the one from the court of King Arthur! That would make you centuries old. Not even wizards live that long!", Hermione stated.

"Know everything do you?", the man calling himself Merlin chuckled. "Of course, I'm not sure I'm precisely alive but maybe this will help. 'I SWEAR ON MY MAGIC THAT I AM WHO I REPRESENT MYSELF TO BE!' Lumos!" A very bright light sprang forth from his staff. "Nox!" The light vanished. "Any doubts remaining? Good, time to get down to business!"

"On another world in another reality an entity is trying to become a god. He won't succeed even if no one stops him but if no one stops him then he will destroy that world and cast this world into an ice age that maybe one in ten thousand will survive. This will happen in five to ten years. For various reasons, no one from that world can act directly against this would be god nor can the gods from Earth. So several groups of people are being asked to help out."

"So why us?. We just finished a bloody war against a psychopathic dark lord.", Harry growled.

"This is true and also why. You have the experience and more important, the five of you have or will have the power.", Merlin replied. "I know you have lost many friends and loved ones. Assuming the ice age Is prevented, you also need experience and resources to complete the job you started when you defeated Voldemort. Magical Britain still has the problems that gave rise to him and you are the best person to deal with them but you will need help. Miss Granger, Miss Lovegood, Miss Greengrass, and Winky can provide that help.

"How long do we have to get the job done?", Harry asked.

"If you agree to go, it will take you years on that world, which is called Norrath. This will include you being trained and learning the ends and outs of life on Norrath. However, when you succeed, you will return here one day after you depart."

"What happens if we fail?", Harry asked.

"Should none of the teams succeed, it won't matter. But you will not be in this by yourselves so I'm confident that the mission will be completed."

"Also, you will be permitted to bring back anything you acquire while there. It seems they use platinum, gold, silver, and copper as money. They also may have some interesting spells and artifacts you can obtain."

Harry brushed the hair back from his forehead and pondered for a moment. "Well, I'm at loose ends at the moment and I want to have a future that doesn't involve ice, I'll go."

"What about you ladies?" the old man queried.

"Now wait a minute! This will be dangerous and I don't want to see them hurt!", Harry interrupted.

"Harry James Potter, if you think you are going off by yourself, you have another think coming! I've stuck with you through Voldemort and I'm sticking with you now!", Hermione almost yelled. She turned to Merlin and said, "I'm in."

"I bet they have interesting creatures, maybe even a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. I would like to go as well.", Luna stated.

"Ice Queen of Hogwarts or not, that sounds like a horrible fate. Besides, someone should go who can be sly not boldly charge into things. I'll go as well.", Daphne shuddered.

"Winky go to make sure that Harry Potter sir and the misses takes proper care of theyselves."

"Good, good! So you are all going. Sure?" Merlin look around. Harry pleaded with his eyes but the ladies looked determined.

"Here, you will probably need this." Merlin handed a pack to Harry. "It's a tent that should be big enough. We are going to need a few changes first however."

Harry asked nervously, "What kind of changes?"

"Nothing too bad. Where you are going eyeglasses will be a real handicap so we need to fix your eyes." Merlin waved his staff and suddenly Harry's vision became blurry. Removing his glasses fixed the blurriness.

"Winky, where you are going you will need to fit in better so I need to change you. You will still be an elf, just a different kind of elf. You can change back when you return, if you want. The change may hurt a bit but the pain will be short."

Winky nodded and braced herself. Merlin made a complex series of movements with his staff and Winky began to change. She grew to a bit over five feet. Her face changed to that of a pretty young girl and her ears shrunk until they were only a little bigger than a humans but pointed. Her head sprouted dark red-brown hair that extended down to her shoulders. The change continued to her skin color leaving with a slightly tan appearance. Body, arms, and legs resembled a slender human young woman with slightly elongated fingers and toes. She formed breasts that while slightly large on her, looked right for her. The tea towel she was wearing morphed into a tee shirt and shorts to preserve her modesty.

"Winky, you are now what is known as a wood elf. They are very common where you are going so you should fit in well. You should be able to still do the thing you did as a house elf but can now do things that wood elves can do."

"Someone will meet you when you get there to brief you about Norrath and the quest you will be one. Any last questions?" Merlin look around.

"Quest?", Hermione queried.

"That's just what they call missions on Norrath. One last thing and off you go!"

Merlin once again used his staff to cast a spell and the five glowed white with white bands reaching out to connect to each of the others. Motioning with his staff one more time, the quintet vanished.

[Pilgrim's Landing, Frostfang Sea, Norrath]

A man in plate armor sat at a table in the large tent. Although through the tent flap could be seen an expanse of ice and snow, the inside it was quite comfortable. He stood up as two groups of five people materialized in glowing spheres.

"Greetings and welcome to Norrath. I am Jessolt Lightwalker, a paladin of Mithaniel Marr, the god that requested your aid. I am here to introduce you to life on this world and get you started on your quest."

"You have been given knowledge of the Common Tongue of Norrath, so you should be able to deal with the people of this world. It will probably be a good idea to learn some of the other languages as you get a chance."

"Now which of you is Harry Potter?"

"That would be me.", the young man with black messy hair and green eyes said.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter.", Jessolt continued. "With you would be Miss Hermione Granger, Miss Luna Lovegood, Miss Daphne Greengrass and Miss Winky." They each indicated their presence.

"Now for Ranma Saotome."

A black haired young man with vivid blue eyes raised his hand and said, "Yo!"

"Greetings, Mr. Saotome. Your companions are Miss Kasumi Tendo, Miss Nabiki Tendo, Miss Ukyo Kuonji, and Miss Xian Pu, also known as Shampoo.

"We will be meeting with each of you to determine what skills and interests you have to see what you best fit for an adventurer profession. While there are other professions on Norrath, such as innkeeper, merchant, sailor, and so forth, the people who do quests are called adventurers. Adventurers are divided into four groups: Fighters who mostly fight with weapons and armor, Clerics who heal and protect although they can also do a lot of damage, Mages who cast powerful spells to destroy or impede an enemy, and lastly Scouts who can deal a lot of damage and disappear into the shadows."

"Fighters fall into three groups; Warriors (Guardians and Berserkers) who wear heavy armor and use most weapons, Brawlers (Monks and Bruisers) who wear light armor and use few weapons, and Crusaders (Paladins and Shadowknights) who usually can use the same equipment as Warriors."

"There are also three types of Clerics; Priests (Templars and Inquisitors) who wear heavy armor and use crushing weapons, Druids (Wardens and Defilers) who wear light armor and use mostly crushing weapons, and Shamans (Mystics and Furies) who wear medium armor and also use mostly crushing weapons."

"The three types of Mages are Sorcerer (Wizards and Warlocks), Summoners (Conjurors and Necromancers), and Enchanters (Illusionists and Coercers). All Mages wear only what is called cloth armor and use light melee weapons such as daggers, wands, and staffs."

"Scouts have four subclasses; Animalists (Beastlords), Bards (Troubadours and Dirges) who use music to aid in battle, Predators (Rangers and Assassins) who prefer ranged weapons, and Rouges (Swashbucklers and Brigands) who are most likely to get up close and personal. All scouts can wear medium armor and use one handed weapons as well as ranged weapons."

"Only a good person can be a Paladin, Mystic, Conjuror, or a Swashbuckler. Likewise, only an evil person can be a Shadowknight, Defiler, Necromancer, or Brigand. I trust none of you will be becoming one of those."

"As I call your name, please go with the trainer waiting for you for your assessment. Mr. Potter, you first. Next, Mr Saotome. Then Miss …"

[Several hours later]

The two groups were once again in the large tent when Jessolt entered and walked in and sat down at the table. He started speaking again.

"If you are all ready, I have your evaluations. Mr. Potter, your team first."

"Not surprisingly, you five are the mage group. Mr. Potter, you are to be a Wizard, most likely a Battlemage since you will be able to wield a sword, which is most unusual. Before you ask, a Wizard here is not quite the same as the wizards in your world. A female Wizard is still a Wizard and a wand is not required though you may still use one if you wish. Miss Granger, always a seeker after knowledge, your profession is Illusionist, dealing with confusing and confounding your enemies. Miss Greengrass, your profession is the flip side of Miss Granger's. As a Coercer, you will subdue and panic enemies. Miss Lovegood, seemingly one who lives in your own world, you are to be a Mystic, a shaman with powers to protect and heal. Miss Winky, you are a Conjurer, capable of elemental summoning. You will all retain your skills and powers from your home but may find your new skills useful as well."

"Now Mr. Saotome's team."

"You five are the physical team. Mr. Saotome, your years of experience and training make you very qualified to be a Monk, which is what martial artists are called in Norrath. Miss Kasumi Tendo, you who have always protected and guided your charges are best suited to be a Warden, a druid with powers to heal, protect, and, as needed, to harm your opponent. Miss Nabiki Tendo, who has made use of her information gathering skills with the occasional backstabbing and with a desire to stay out of the thick of things, is a Ranger, a scout with the ability to sneak and ferret out information. Miss Pu, with your years of Amazon training in weapons and martial arts, could not be anything but a Guardian. Miss Kuonji, your skills and experience translate well to a Swashbuckler, even if your weapons are a little odd."

"Mr. Saotome and Miss Pu, I understand you have water based curses that cause you to change form when hit with cold or hot water. You may find the magic of Norrath convenient as your apparel will change to fit and adjust to your alternate form. Miss Pu, I'm told your form resembles a Kerra although I have never heard of one with your colors."

"Your quest is to destroy the evil that threatens not only this world but yours as well. To do this you will have to defeat many smaller evils that are part of the overall problem. This will allow you not only to train but will slow the progress of your foe."

"Equipment appropriate for your class and skill level has been provided for you but you will need to replace it as your skill increases. Most armor and weapons are magical and protect you from heat and cold as well as allow you to swim. You will need better as soon as you gain the skills needed to use it. You can either buy it, loot it off a foe, or learn to make your own. Speaking of which, it is the custom to strip anything of value from a defeated foe."

Hermione held up her hand. Jessolt look at her and said, "You have a question?"

"Yes, sir. Don't they object or want it back later?"

Jessolt laughed, "Not unless there is a Necromancer around or one of their Clerics gets to them quickly. The dead normally don't care. Norrath is a harsh and deadly place. You will learn to protect your Clerics as though your life depends on it as often it does."

From the table in front of him, Jessolt picked up a leather object.

"You are being provided with a magical belt that all adventurers use. This will hold your money, attach your weapons, and has six pockets that are capable of holding one of anything. I've seen a gnome carry a dead giant in one. That can be pack which has a fixed number of compartments which each can hold one of anything except another in use pack. You start out with six four-packs for a total of 24 slots."

"They work like the expansion charms we use back home, it would seem.", Daphne noted.

Jessolt continued, "Mr. Potter has been provided with a magical tent of the type that Mr. Potter's team is familiar with. He has agreed to share with Mr. Saotome team."

"I think that was the intention when we were given it.", Harry said. "Besides, it is only fair since we will be working together."

"Question!" Nabiki raised her hand. "Will we be allowed to keep any of this when we return home?"

"Yes, you will be able to keep anything you acquire that you can carry."

"You are on Pilgrim's Landing, a small island in the Frostfang Sea where New Halas maintains a post to assist refugees washed ashore from Orc attacks."

"What are Orcs?", Hermione asked.

"Orcs are but one of many races you will encounter on Norrath. There a Gnolls, Kobolds, Goblins, Trolls, Ogres, Ratonga, Dwarves, Wood Elves, High Elves, Half Elves (offspring of Humans and Wood Elves), Gnomes, Halflings, Fae, and many others. Do not assume that because you have something called the same on your home world they are the same here. Some races are generally good, some generally evil, and some can be either. For this reason, as a gift from Mithaniel Marr, you will see a red outline around any creature that is actively hostile towards you. You will also not truly die (unless another god intervenes) but be transported to a safe location and revived. I would avoid dieing even so as it is painful and will take time for you to recover."

"As I said, you are at the refugee camp near New Halas. We plan on you spending several weeks here training in your new abilities with Trainer Ragnhild Stonefist. You may be asked to help out with the problems the camp has by Yasha Redblade, the site leader. When you are ready, you will proceed to New Halas and speak to someone at the Shrine of Erollisi Marr. It is several days journey and not without peril due to the Orc activity."

"Why bring us here instead of there?", Harry asked. "In fact, why not give us the power we need to fight this evil now?"

"Because even the gods of Norrath have rules they must follow and you cannot merely be puppets of Mithaniel Marr. You must gain the training and experience yourselves in order to accomplish your quest. On the positive side, you will retain those skills when you return to your world."

"Works for me!", Ranma stated. "I'm not one for free power ups!"

"I will show you where you can set up your tent. You have a day to get settled in and look around. Make sure you get some rest because training starts early the following day."

[Outside at the camp site]

"Harry, ya need help setting up the tent. Traveling around all over the place with pops, I've had to set up a few."

"I don't think so, Ranma. If this is what I think it is, it will set itself up."

Harry placed the folded tent in the location Jessolt had shown them and touched a rune with his wand. The tent unfolded, set out stakes in the frozen ground, and erected itself. The final size was 10 feet on a side and about that tall.

"Whoa, cool. It's going to be a bit tight for all ten of us though but I guess we can manage."

Harry smiled. "I think you will be surprised. Let's see what the inside is like!"

The group entered the tent and stopped. Even the magic users were surprised even though they had been expecting a much larger inside than out.

The entrance opened up into a large living area that looked very comfortable with plenty of couches and chairs. Opposite the entrance, a hall ran with six doors on a side and a door at the end. An open doorway on the left showed a kitchen with a dinning area and an attached utility/laundry room. Opening the door to the right, revealed a library/study area although the shelves were only about a quarter full. Dragging Hermione from that room, they discovered the six doors opened into good sized bedrooms each with its own bathroom. The door at the end revealed a training area with a spa and dressing rooms.

"It looks like the training area can be used for both magic and physical training.", Harry noted. "That is good because we will need to train together so we can work well as a team."

"What's this curse Jessolt mentioned? Is it going to affect the mission and is it dangerous?", Daphne queried.

Ranma sighed, "I guess we need to get this out of the way. There were a bunch of cursed pools in China that caused you to change into whatever last died in that pool. Shampoo fell into the pool of drowned cat and I fell into the pool of drowned girl although hers has been changed. It doesn't effect anyone else. Shampoo will probably have to get used to her new form but I've had mine for a while."

"Can we see?", Hermione asked.

"Sure, let me get some water out of the kitchen."

Returning with the water, Ranma handed one cup to Shampoo and dumped the other over his head, instantly changing to a short, buxom redheaded girl. Shampoo turned into a cat-girl with pink fur and purple highlights.

"Crap, what kind of perv designed this outfit?" growled the now girl in the very revealing outfit.

"Good thing Akane is not here. She would probably bash you through the floor!", Nabiki laughed.

"Too true. Husband is very cute in that outfit.", Shampoo giggled.

"Why did you call Ranma 'Husband'", Luna wanted to know.

"Shampoo is from a female warrior controlled tribe in China where if an outsider man defeats a tribe member, she has to marry him.", Nabiki explained. "If a outsider girl defeats her, she has to kill her."

"Rules not apply to training though.", Shampoo clarified.

"To make it even more fun, Gemma, Ranma's worthless father, engaged him to Ukyo, one of my father's daughters, and a bunch of others. My youngest sister was the fiancee but I think that is a dead issue so I suppose it is Kasumi or me.", Nabiki continued. "All of the others we know of have given it up as a bad deal and moved on."

"That is so messed up!", Hermione said shaking her head.

"Why doesn't each team pick a side of the hall?", Harry suggested. "That leaves us with two spare bedrooms in case we have visitors or something."

"Ok Harry, you take the third room from the training room. Hermione and Daphne can have the rooms on each side of you. Winky and I will take the rooms on the other sides of them.", Luna instructed.

"I don't need a room. I'll sleep in the utility room.", Winky protested.

"No you will not, Winky. You are part of this team too and even you were still a house elf, you would deserve a room of your own.", Harry stated firmly. He noticed that since their arrival on Norrath, that Winky's speech had improved.

"Ranma should take the room across from Harry. Ukyo and Shampoo can have the rooms on either side but no slipping into Ranma's room Shampoo. Nabiki can have the room next to the training room and I'll take the room closest to the kitchen since I assume I'll be doing the cooking.", Kasumi stated.

"I think we should take turns, Kasumi.", Harry said before Winky could protest. "I grew up cooking and some of the others may have cooking skills as well. I don't think the chores should fall on just a few. I know if we let her Winky would do all the cooking and cleaning but she has her own training to do."

"I agree.", Ranma replied. "Ukyo, Shampoo, and I can cook but keep Nabiki out of the kitchen! Those of us who can't cook can do some of the other chores so an even load falls on everybody."

"I can work up a schedule so it is fair for all of us.", Hermione volunteered. As Harry and Luna smirked, she said, "Oh, you!" and smacked Harry on the arm.

"Well, let's check out the kitchen and see about some dinner. Hopefully, it will be stocked so we don't have to bother the camp for food.", Harry suggested.

It was so Harry, Winky, and Kasumi put together a quick meal. After finishing the cleanup, everybody decided it had been a long day and retired for the night.

[TBC]


	2. Things to do on Pilgrim's Landing

**Disclaimer:** See first chapter.

**AN:** Don't expect updates this frequently very often. I'm lazy.

**Beta:** Me, Myself, and I. There are bound to be mistakes, especially dropped final letters and suffixes.

[Early the next morning in the Training Room]

Harry walked into the room to find Ranma already at his morning practice. As he bounced around the room, he greeted the wizard. "Morning, Harry! Did you know the practice dummies fight back? Makes the training great!"

"Yeah, magic is handy that way.", Harry smiled. "What is that you're doing?"

"My families martial arts style, Anything Goes. Mostly, just my family and the Tendos practice it, though the Saotome and Tendo schools are a bit different. We use a more aerial style while they use more a ground based style. They also use weapons more."

"So Kasumi and Nabiki fight like this too?"

"Well, no. They have both had training when they were younger but really only Akane and her father still practice. There are also two orphaned girls, Natsume and Kurumi 'Tendo', that practice a form and of course, the perverted Grandmaster of the Anything Goes School, Happosai."

"Perverted?"

"He likes to grope attractive women and steals women's underwear."

"Oh."

Harry activated several training dummies and started his morning workout, dodging, shielding, and blocking the spells fired at him as he attempted to take the dummies out.

[Meanwhile, at the Refugee Camp]

Kasumi, Ukyo, and Winky were also up early and investigating the area.

"Trainer Dunlop, thank you so much for showing what can be harvested from the wild for our use and to sell. This will help us a tremendous amount.", Kasumi said to the fur clad man.

"Remember ladies, although most merchants won't buy raw materials from you, many artisans don't have time to harvest for themselves and will pay you for the things you gather. By the way, Arrin Clelland was needing some help with the camp's provisions so if you have the time and want to help, check with him."

"We'll do that after breakfast. Where is he located?"

"He is in the big tent to the north next to the cliffs."

"We will talk to him in a little while. Thank you again for your help.", Kasumi smiled.

[Same time in the tent's kitchen]

"What do you think we should make for breakfast, Shampoo?"

"I'm not sure, Luna. Most of the food is not what you would find in China or Japan and there is no rice at all. Maybe a potato soup with sausage?"

"Sounds good to me. We need to let the others know to keep an eye out for replacement foodstuffs, though. These supplies won't last forever."

"Too true. I'll get started on the potatoes if you can..."

[In the library]

"So what's it like being a witch and going to a school for magic?", Nabiki asked.

"A lot of it is pretty amazing but it can be very bad. We just finished a civil war over blood purity when Harry defeated the Dark Lord.", Hermione replied.

"Blood purity? Like pure blood dogs?"

Daphne laughed. "Pretty much. To be a pure blood, all of your great-great-great grandparents must be magical. Otherwise, you are a half-blood unless your parents weren't magical at all. In that case, you are a muggleborn. Luna and I are pure bloods, Harry is a half-blood, and Hermione is a muggleborn. Ironically, Dark Lord Voldemort was a half-blood."

"What is Winky?"

"Winky is, or at least was, a house elf. They are a separate race of magical creatures bound to magic users who act as servants. In return they get their magic. If they are freed, they die quickly. Hermione was on a campaign to free them all before she found out about that."

"I still want them treated well, not like the Malfoys did Dobby.", Hermione stated with a frown.

"Most people treat them as part of the family. The Malfoys are stupid."

"Changing the subject, this looks like a control panel. I wonder what it is for?", Nabiki interjected.

"It looks like the tent can add rooms, if they are needed. I've heard of tents like this but have never seen one before.", Daphne observed. "Hmm. Oh well, it is not like we need them now. Did either of you find any reference material on this world or ..."

[Refugee Camp]

"So anything I place in the bank can be retrieved from any other bank, not just money?", Ukyo asked the banker.

"Yes, miss. All banks are connected."

"That is certainly use-"

"Yasha!", a small man shouted. "The Orcs have grounded a ship on the south shore next to the cliff! They are swarming ashore and headed this way!"

"Everybody to the barricades!", Yasha yelled. "We can't let them over run the camp!"

"Oh my!", Kasumi said in a worried tone. "We need to let the others know!"

[Inside the tent]

Ranma paused and looked pensive. "There's trouble in the camp! Kasumi and Ukyo are worried!"

"I can feel Winky, too! Let's get a move on!"

Running toward the tent entrance, they encountered the rest of the girls in the living area.

"Grab your wands and weapons!", Harry yelled. "The camp is being attacked!"

At that moment, Winky popped into the tent. "Harry Potter sir, Orcs are attacking!"

"Thanks, Winky! We are on our way!"

After quickly grabbing weapons, the group spilled out of the tent and headed for the sounds of battle.

"Let's try and keep them at a distance!", Ranma said. "If they get close let Shampoo, Ukyo, and me handle them."

"Agreed!", Harry replied. "Kasumi and Nabiki, stay back since you haven't been trained yet!"

"I know how to use my bow so don't worry about me!", Nabiki stated. "I'll do my part!"

"I can help the wounded! Ranma has given me lots of practice!", Kasumi answered.

"Ok, but let someone bring them to you!"

"Winky will do that!", said elf stated.

[Barricades]

As they approached the battle, Ranma fired a blast at an Orc that was about to skewer a defender and followed it with a shuriken. The defender then managed to kill the Orc.

"Magic?", queried Harry.

"No, ki blast."

Ranma fired another blast and Harry began casting blasting hexes at the attacking Orcs.

A large group of Orcs split from the main body and started toward Harry and Ranma.

"Oh boy, here they come!"

Arrows and spells rose up from the attacking Orcs but were blocked by shields from Harry, Hermione, Daphne, and Luna or just dodged. Nabiki proved to be good with the bow and began targeting the enemy archers and mages. Ukyo used her throwing spatulas to slice open the Orc's neck which if it didn't kill them, at least slowed them down. Shampoo used a bow to aid Nabiki in taking out the ranged attackers.

Hermione conjured a flock of hawks to attack and began casting flame spells. Daphne transformed some nearby rocks into timber wolves and sent them at the enemy and occasionally used piercing hexes to strike an Orc that got too close. Luna created a swarm of bees over the attackers and cast cutting curses while they were distracted. Winky snapped her fingers and huge rocks fell on the invaders. When one of the defenders was too badly injured to continue fighting, she would pop them back to Kasumi where Kasumi would take care of them.

Kasumi discovered that she could do more than just bandage the wounded. By concentrating, she could actually have the wounds close up and heal such that the defender could return to the battle.

Despite the loss of over half of their number, the invading Orcs continued and close enough to engage with swords and clubs. Shampoo dropped her bow and drew her twin swords, not noticing that the bow attached to her back. Ukyo unlimbered her battle spatula and blocked a strike at Harry. Using a combination of ki blasts, strikes, and kicks, Ranma continued to demolish the enemy that came within his reach. A sword appeared in Harry's left hand and he used it to parry a strike aimed at him.

"The Sword of Gryffindor! How did that get here!", Harry wondered to himself as he used it to finish off the Orc. The Sword seemed to parry, riposte, and block on its own.

Hermione transformed a shield out of some rubble and used it to block some arrows aimed at Nabiki. Nabiki smiled her thanks and continued to fire into the ranks of the attacking horde. Hermione left it floating in front of Nabiki and resumed her fire attacks while dodging and shielding herself as needed. Daphne summoned some snakes and created some transformed bears to continue the attack for her. Luna cast a spell that caused pink flowering vines to tangle up the Orcs, causing them to be trapped or at least slowed.

"Did it have to be pink?", Ranma asked with exasperation.

"I like pink.", Luna giggled.

The Orcs were too close to the team for Winky to shower them with rocks so she settled for banishing smaller rocks at individuals. This worked very well.

Although the Orcs were being killed in droves, they continued to charge. Soon, only one Orc was left and he was soon dispatched by Ranma and Shampoo. Looking to where the regular camp defenders had been fighting, they saw that that battle was over as well as the last invader fell as they looked that way.

Yasha Redblade walked over to the team. "You did very well, especially since you haven't even started your training! You have our sincere thanks!", she said.

"Don't forget to strip anything of value from the enemy you defeated. Even if you can't use it, you can usually sell it. These are just sword fodder so they won't have much but every little bit helps."

"Lets Winky, er, let me do it!", Winky said blushing. She snapped her fingers and a pile of equipment and some random other stuff appeared. A small pile of coins appeared next to it. Winky looked around at the group. "I think we all need a good cleaning before we take a bath." She snapped her fingers again and the group was much cleaner.

Nabiki, Hermione, and Daphne began to sort through the larger pile. Harry turned to Winky and said, "Why don't you give everyone an equal share of the coins. That way, we all have some money if we need it." He turned to Ranma. "Why don't we sell the stuff we can't use and pool the proceeds. We can pick a couple of us to keep track of it and use it to buy things the group needs."

"Good idea! I suggest Nabiki as one of the 'cause she is good at managing money having kept the Tendos solvent for years.", Ranma replied.

"I think Daphne should be the other one as she is the heir to House Greengrass and has been helping manage their money for a while.", Hermione spoke up.

"Nabiki, Daphne, would you ladies be willing to manage the groups finances?", Harry queried.

"I'm willing. How about you, Nabiki?"

"Since I'm used to the bookkeeping, I am willing as well."

After a few minutes, Hermione said, "Ok, most of this stuff we can't use but can probably sell. There are a few books that look like manuals to improve specific skills. There are other books that seem to be recipes or how to books for artisans. There are a couple of books that we should be able to learn the Orcish language from. There are a few pieces of jewelry that have a magic feel to them which I think we should keep for now. The rest is what looks to be souvenirs, personal treasures, and the like. We should just sell those."

"There are a couple of merchants in the camp that may be willing to buy it.", Kasumi noted.

"Ok, Luna and I need to get back to cooking breakfast although it is closer to lunch now. I hope nothing ruined!", Shampoo said with a concerned look.

"The magic in the kitchen will have prevented it.", Luna said smiling. The two head off toward the tent.

Hermione, Nabiki, and Daphne gathered the looted stuff up with the aid of a featherlight charm and headed off to see a merchant, then back to the tent to put the rest of the stuff away. Kasumi, Ukyo, and Winky went to talk to the blacksmith to see what he did. Ranma and Harry walked over to talk to Yasha Redblade.

"Yasha, are the Orcs crazy or are they just stupid? Even though it was obvious they were losing, they never tried to retreat or even back off and regroup.", Harry queried.

"Yeah, I would have thought the last few would have at least tried to run!", Ranma agreed.

"The Orcs have a win or die battle creed, at least the officers do. This group had nowhere to retreat to as they holed their ship when they ran it aground. It would surprise me if the officers did it deliberately so the grunts would have no choice but stay and fight.", Yasha answered. "But as a race they are not very bright. Dangerous, but not very intelligent."

"So were these typical Orcs?", Ranma wanted to know.

"Typical in attitude but not training. These were barely trained grunts, really nothing more than sword fodder. There are Orcs you will encounter that have more experience, better training, and are much more dangerous. In places like Zek, you will find Orcs that are much tougher to defeat."

"How do Orcs compare to other enemy races we may run into?"

"Orcs are toward the bottom in terms of difficulty. They are stupid and for all their brutality, they are not that strong."

"Thanks for the information, Yasha. That helps us understand a little better about what to expect.", Harry said.

"Thank you and your group again for your help today. Even Orcs can be dangerous in large numbers.", Yasha replied.

"See ya around.", Ranma said. "Let us know if you need help with anything else."

As Harry and Ranma walked off, Ranma said, "So where did the sword come from, Harry?"

"It's the Sword of Gryffindor, who was one of the founders of our school. I don't know how it got here. I was just wishing for something to use in the fight and it showed up. This is the second time it has done that.", Harry replied with a puzzled tone.

"What was the first time?"

"Well, there was this basilisk roaming the school, paralyzing people and...".

[At the Blacksmith Forge]

"So I can make a charm with this recipe with some tin and lead ore using a bit of coal to heat the forge?", Ukyo asked the smith.

"Yes, lass. It's really quite easy. Here, you give it a try."

Ukyo looked at the instructions and following them carefully, managed to create a perfect Lucky Wolf Charm. (1)

"Wow, sugar, this is neat! Can you teach me more?"

"Sorry, lass, I dinn't have the time but when you get to New Halas there is a fellow named Glin Hammerhelm in Ravens' Roost that can get you started doing your own crafting."

"Thank you for showing us this and for the information, Bull", Ukyo said with a smile.

"Thank you, sir.", echoed Kasumi and Winky.

"We should go back to the tent. Somehow, I know Shampoo and Luna have finished preparing our meal!", Kasumi mused.

[Kitchen/Dinning Area of the Tent]

"We should call others to come eat too too good food now that it is finally ready.", Shampoo suggested.

"We won't need to call them, they are on their way now.", Luna noted.

"You are right, somehow I know this.", Shampoo said puzzled. (2)

They turned and looked at the door as the other members of the group filed in.

[After the Meal]

"You know, this morning I felt Kasumi and Ukyo's distress when the Orcs attacked. Did anybody else feel anything?", Ranma asked.

"I felt Winky, not Kasumi or Ukyo, but yeah.", Harry noted. "In fact, I think I can close my eyes and point to Hermione, Luna, Daphne, or Winky. How about you girls?"

"I knew Kasumi and Ukyo were upset. Somehow, I feel a connection to Ranma, Kasumi, Nabiki, and Ukyo. It is too too strange.", Shampoo replied.

Kasumi said, "I feel a link to everyone on Ranma's team. What about you, Nabiki and Ukyo?" Both girls indicated yes. She looked at Hermione.

"Harry's team.", Hermione replied to the unspoken question.

"I as well.", Daphne chipped in.

"I do to Harry and I bet Winky does too.", Luna stated. Winky nodded.

"I sense bonds between Harry Potter sir, his girls, and Winky and between Ranma Saotome sir and his girls. I also sense they be getting stronger.", Winky nervously informed them.

"So far it seems like a good thing. Let's hope it continues to be.", Harry said.

"Maybe Daphne can help me research bonds in the library later.", Hermione wondered. Daphne shrugged and then nodded.

"Winky, Ukyo, and I want to see what we can do to help Mr. Clelland. Hopefully, we will learn something useful.", Kasumi said. "See you for the evening meal!"

"Who's on tap to do the cooking?", Harry asked.

"You and Ranma.", Hermione smirked. "No splashing him with water and flirting with her."

"Hey, I'm not into guys, even guys that turn into girls!"

With that everybody departed laughing to do what they had planned for the afternoon.

[Early Next Morning in the Kitchen/Dinning Area]

Kasumi, Ukyo, and Winky had returned the night before with fresh cod they had caught while helping Arrin Clelland as well as various fruits, vegetables, 'coffees' and 'teas' they had gathered. They had also gathered other materials and stored them in a room off the utility room. Most of the cod was in the stasis cabinet but part of it was prepared for breakfast. They planned to gather materials when ever possible and store it for later use or sale.

Harry sat back in his chair and declared, "Man that was good!". (3) He turned to Hermione and Daphne. "Did you find out anything about the bond we seem to have?"

Daphne replied, "As far as we can determine, it appears to be a soul bond. If it is it should be helpful in that we should be able to talk mind to mind, know how each bond mate is doing, and maybe teleport to a bond mate in trouble. It is usually considered a gift from the gods and since gods are involved in this situation, that is a strong possibility. There are some complications when the bond fully forms but not necessarily bad ones. We don't want to go into those until we are sure it is one, though."

Kasumi started when she heard Hermione mutter under her breath, "I hope you want lots of kids." Nobody else seemed to hear.

"Ok, keep us posted, if you would.", Harry asked. "We start training this morning. I'm looking forward to learning some new skills to help make sure we succeed and all make it back home. We meet with Trainer Ragnhild Stonefist as soon as we are done here. Do we need to talk about anything else?"

"Naw, don't think so.", Ranma said.

"Ok, let's go"

[Central Training Area, Pilgrim's Landing]

"Good morning everyone, I'm Trainer Ragnhild Stonefist. I will be supervising your training for the next few weeks though it might get interrupted a bit if we have any more Orc attacks like we had yesterday. I understand you did very for not having any training in your new professions."

"Let us see. We have two clerics, four mages, two scouts, and two warriors. Would the two clerics please go with Cleric Trainer Biron. Biron please raise your hand."

Biron raised his hand. Kasumi and Luna followed him to another area.

"Next Mage Trainer Steffron for the four mages."

After raising her hand, Steffron was followed by Harry, Hermione, Daphne, and Winky.

"Trainer Cantay has the scouts."

Nabiki and Ukyo followed Cantay to the scout training area.

"And last but not least, Fighter Trainer Tobias for the rest of you."

Ranma and Shampoo went with Tobias.

[Cleric Training Area]

"Ok, Kasumi and Luna, right?" The girls nodded. "Your main goal in combat is to keep your team members alive with heals and wards but you have some powerful offensive skills too. Here is a packet for each of you of the spells and skills you will be learning. Take some time to look it over."

"Now the basic healing spell for both of you is very similar. The only difference is that for a Warden you make this motion and for a Mystic you make this motion. Let's see you cast it at the training dummy now. Very good! Now..."

"...Wrath spell is the same for both of you, really for all clerics. It is quick to cast, quick to recover and does a decent amount of damage..."

"...You both have animal form you can shift. Kasumi, yours is a wolf; Luna yours is a bear. They both increase some of your abilities and allow you to see invisible or stealth enemies. Luna, you also have a pet spirit wolf to aid you in combat..."

"...and that is how wards and spirit shields work. Any questions? No? Good! Let's practice that for a while and then it's on to..."

"...sometimes the enemy get inside your personal space and you have to fall back to using a melee weapon. Typically, clerics use crushing weapons but you will be able to use some edged weapons or spears. This is how you..."

[Mage Training Area]

Steffron looked over the four mages and pointed to each in turn. "Harry, Wizard. Oh aren't you a cute one. Hermione, Illusionist. Quit frowning, I'm not going to steal your boyfriend. Daphne, Coercer. Oh! Maybe he's your boyfriend? Winky, Conjuror. What! Another girlfriend! Oh, well, I still think he's cute." She holds her belly laughing. She hands each of them a packet of papers. "These are the spells and combat abilities you will learning. Take a few minutes to look over them and the read your basic attack spell instructions carefully."

"Ok, let's get started. The basic attack spell for all of you is almost the same so this is what you do. Select your target. Focus. Make the appropriate motions and fire. Using the practice dummy in front of you, cast your basic spell. Good, Good. Now, again..."

"...Except for Harry, you all have pet that can assist you in combat. Harry, you can have a pet as well but all it does is improve your skill a bit. Hermione, yours is a duplicate of you that has most of your abilities at a somewhat reduced level. Daphne, yours is any enemy or animal that you can charm. Just be careful because they can break the charm. Winky, you can have one of three avatars: earth, fire, or air. Most conjurors use the earth because it is a fighter but in a group, one of the others may be more useful at times. All combat pets will protect you unless you command them to do something else like attack..."

"...and that is how buffs for your friends and debuffs for your enemies work. Sometimes the help they provide makes all the difference in a fight. Now on to...

"...Harry, you will have the ability to transport yourself or your entire group to a safe location if things go pear shaped. Later, when you get more experience and power, you will be able to open a portal to any wizard spire on Norrath. This is useful when..."

"...your area effect spells can be very useful, especially when fighting large groups. Be careful, however, because while some spells will hit only the enemy you are fighting, some will hit everything in its range and cause you to suddenly be fighting even more enemies..."

"...Sometimes, it is necessary to use a melee weapon to defend yourself while you cast spells if the enemy gets too close. Most mages uses daggers, staves, or crushing wands. Harry, since you have a sword, I'm sending you to the Scout Trainer for this. Girls, this is how you use the dagger..."

[Scout Training Area]

The halfling woman named Cantay looked up at her students. "You seem to have some skill already. However, we will polish that and get rid of any bad habits you have picked up." She handed each of them a packet. "These packets contain descriptions of the skills you need to master. Take a few moments to look them over and we will get started."

"Ok, now that you have had a quick look see, we will get started. First of all, all scouts are sneaky, er, stealthy. Take the instructions for stealth out of your packet and read it over thoroughly. When you finish, I'll show you how it is done..."

"...scouts are masters of ranged weapons, none more so than Rangers. Swashbuckler tend to prefer thrown weapons. Ukyo, you seem to be skill with your throwing spatulas but unless you can make them yourself, I suggest you switch to throwing daggers or shuriken. Rangers have many different techniques..."

"...you can do extra damage from behind or when sneaking. The techniques you use are..."

"...Nice to meet you, Harry. You are not a scout but this applies to you. Scouts may use two weapons or a single weapon and a buckler. Those that use two weapons seem to prefer a piercing weapon and a slashing weapon. Harry, you could also use a totem or similar device but I would recommend you use a parrying blade in your off hand. Your choice though. We will give you some practice with several options to see what works best for you. Ok, take your weapons and lets see how you do..."

"...With enough experience, scouts can put their team out of a bad situation and escape to a safe location. This is how that works..."

[Fighter Trainer Area]

Tobias looked at Ranma and Shampoo. The wiry wood elf male handed them their skill packets.

"You are both fighters but your techniques will be vastly different. Shampoo, you are a Guardian. You wear heavy armor and use almost any weapon. Your job is to be a wall that nothing gets past. Ranma, you are a Monk. Your armor is your speed. Your weapon is your knowledge of the body. Your job is to be a tornado that nothing gets past. You both will need to learn your weapons and your armor. Time to get started."

"...if you move your sword like this, Shampoo, it does more damage. And if you follow through like this it is often a finishing blow..."

"...is very similar to the Roasting Chestnuts technique you already know, Ranma. That should make this easy to learn..."

"...and that is how you block with your off hand weapon, Shampoo. I know you are fond of your dual swords and maces but you should learn to use a shield. You might find it suits you..."

"...you will find that if you hit your target when throwing the shuriken this way, Ranma, it will slow your opponent down considerably. You can also..."

[Several Weeks Later, Central Training Area]

"I'm happy to say that you all did well with your training.", said Trainer Stonefist. "I will warn you that this just means you have the basics down well. You still need to practice, learn, and practice some more. That said, we have taken you as far as we can here."

"Yasha would like to talk you in the morning. I believe she has some suggestions for the next step on your journey. Now go relax and have a little fun. You have earned it."

[Living Room, Team Tent]

Harry collapsed into the middle of one of the couches. Ranma did the same on another one. Hermione sat next to Harry on his right and leaned into him. Daphne did the same to his left. Luna sat next to his feet and leaned against his leg while Winky took the spot on the left and did the same. Kasumi, Nabiki, Shampoo, and Ukyo mirrored Hermione, Daphne, Luna, and Winky around Ranma. This arrangement had gradually evolved over the weeks of training.

"Man, that was some intense training. Even though we need more, I'm glad we are finally ready to move on.", Harry exclaimed.

"Yeah!", Ranma agreed. "It is time to get on with the job. Plus, I'm looking forward to getting somewhere that is not covered in ice and snow. It is a good incentive to make sure this want ta be god is stopped."

"I believe it is my night to make dinner.:, Ukyo stated.

Checking her schedule, Hermione said, "Yes, you and Winky."

"Ok, everybody, while they are working on dinner, let's get the rest of the chores done so after dinner we can blow off a little steam.", Harry suggusted.

"Sounds like a plan.", Ranma concurred.

[Next morning, Refugee Camp]

"Good morning, Ms Redblade.", Ranma said.

"I still can't get you to call me Yasha, can I?", Yasha said with a twinkle.

"Working on it.", Ranma blushed.

"Anyway, I asked to see you this morning to thank you for you help while you were here. I have some coin and a few item I think you can use." She handed a bag and money pouch to Harry. Harry handed them to Nabiki.

"A reward is not really necessary but thank you. We can use it.", Harry said with a shrug.

"It is not a reward if you earned it.", Yasha returned with a smile. "Anyway, you need take the ferry on the south shore to a place called Gwenevyn's Cove. You should be there in a few hours. Talk to a man named Wregan Firebeard. He can help you on your way but if you have time he can probably use your help for awhile."

"It was good knowing you, Yasha. Maybe we will meet again someplace warmer.", Ranma grinned.

Yasha smiled and waved.

[Outside the Tent]

"Everybody equipped up?", Harry asked. "Anybody need something from the tent?"

When everybody indicated the negative, Harry tapped a rune with his wand. The tent pulled up stakes and folded into a neat bundle. Harry picked it an put it in his pack.

"I guess this means we are on our way!", Ranma quipped.

And they were.

TBC

Author Notes:

(1) In playing Everquest II, I am a compulsive crafter. However, while I've seen some professional authors pull off including a lot of crafting details (L. E. Modesitt, Jr. for one) I think I will limit it to the occasional reference.

Harry – Weaponsmith/Tinkerer  
Hermione – Sage  
Luna – Carpenter  
Daphne – Jeweler/Adorner  
Winky – Provisioner  
Ranma – Tailor  
Kasumi – Alchemist  
Nabiki – Woodworker  
Shampoo - Armorer  
Ukyo – Weaponsmith

(2) Since everybody in the group now speaks the Norrath Common language, most of the speech patterns have improved, such as Shampoo's use of pronouns. Some habits die hard, though.

(3) I personally hate fish. Just thought I'd tell you.


	3. The Path to New Halas, pt 1

**Disclaimer: **See first chapter.

**AN:** A lot of the dialog in this chapter is drawn straight from the Everquest II game and modified to suit the story needs. I'm not always satisfied with the way it flows but oh well.

**Beta: **Me, Myself, and I still. There are bound to be mistakes, especially dropped final letters and suffixes.

**[Gwenevyn's Cove, Erollis Isle]**

****After disembarking from the ferry, the group spotted a camp not far away. Walking over to it, they approached a barbarian man clad in fur.

Ranma hailed the man. "Hi, there. We are looking for Wregan Firebeard. Could you tell us where to find him?"

"You found him.", the man replied. "Another pilgrim, I take it?"

"Not really. We have a different goal but Yasha Redblade did ask us to check with you to see if you needed any help.", Harry answered Wregan.

"We could use some more provisions if you wouldn't mind helping us. We already have enough provisions for those that were already here, but we are expecting several more pilgrims to arrive. We will need more provisions for them.", Wregan stated.

"We can do that. What do you think, Kasumi, Ukyo, and Winky?", Harry asked Ranma.

"Yeah, they're into the harvesting thing. You three ok with doing getting the stuff for the camp?", Ranma turned toward the girls.

"Yes, Ranma, we will be glad to do it.", Kasumi replied. Ukyo and Winky nodded.

"There are some tundra beets that grow along the frozen beach front north of us, between the pillars of ice. They are filling if not the most tasty of foods. Be wary of the blizzard grizzlies nearby!", Wregan instructed.

"You three be careful!", Ranma enjoined.

Ukyo said, "We will, believe me."

Harry turned back to Wregan and said, "The rest of us will check with the rest of the camp to see if anyone else needs something."

"That would be good. I know there are several that have some concerns."

The team spread out to see what they could do to help.

**[Kasumi, Ukyo, and Winky]**

****The trio of girls found the beets easily enough but harvesting them was difficult due to the surrounding bears.

As her earthen avatar crushed the life out of a blizzard grizzly, Winky said, "These bears is very aggressive. I wonder if we could use the meat?"

Casting a Wrath spell at a blizzard matron, Kasumi said, "Bear meat is edible and the pelts ought to be useful for something. I'm sure Ranma, or maybe Shampoo, can butcher the carcases. We do need to be adding to our supplies."

"Winky, uh, I can butcher the bears. I still have my house elf magic and they are not too different from cows and sheeps." She blasted the matron, finishing it off.

Ukyo slashed the attacking blizzard grizzly cub. "Damn, this cub should be running, not attacking." She spun and pierced the cub through the heart. "So, how do we get them back?"

"Our packs. Jessolt did say they would hold almost anything.", Kasumi noted. "I've got some room in mine and hopefully you two do as well."

"Now if these bears would lay off so we can get the beets, it would be nice!", Ukyo growled, sounding a bit like a bear herself. She turned and threw a shuriken at a charging bear. "Kasumi, why don't you gather up the beets while Winky and I take care of this one."

"I believe that is a workable plan. Yell if you need help!"

**[Hermione and Daphne] **

****"Hello, sir.", Hermione greeted a small green creature standing next to the camp's main fire.

The froglok looked up and returned the greeting. "Hello! I haven't seen you around here before! I am Blorpisa Bogchild."

Hermione replied, "We're glad to meet you, Blorpisa, I am Hermione and this is Daphne."

"Ah! I had not seen you before, but I have heard of you and your accomplishments!" Blorpisa said enthusiasticly. "This is such a pleasure, Ladies. We're lucky to have such heroes within our midst. What brings you to Gwenevyn's Cove?"

"We're on my way to New Halas.", Hermione answered.

"As am I! I've stopped along the way as I've been attempting to create a new spell. It is one that would protect the pilgrims from the bitter winds and frosty landscape of New Halas, as well as protect them from the wild creatures and hostile entities.", Blorpisa said

Daphne asked, "How will you cast the spell on all of the pilgrims?"

"I don't intend to cast it on them all! I will enchant the spell onto parchment for the pilgrims to read aloud when they arrive.", Blorpisa explained.

"What if they can't read? What if they have children with them?", Daphne continued.

"Such details!", said Blorpisa somewhat dismissively. "But you do bring up a good point; I will have to make it so that when the spell is read it affects everyone in the area, not just the reader."

"This all sounds very interesting to me.", Hermione observed.

"Say, if you aren't in a hurry, I could use some help.", Blorpisa requested.

Daphne asked, "What kind of help do you need?"

Blorpisa explained, "To make the ink to enchant the spell to paper I need the arcane imbued ore of the rolling stones found east of here. Do you think you could go and collect some of the ore for me?"

"We can.", Hermione agreed.

"Great! As I said, you can find the arcane imbued ore on the rolling stones to the northeast of Gwenevyn's Cove.", Blorpisa continued. "They should not be too hard to find. Let me know if you get into any trouble."

Daphne nodded. "We'll be back once we have collected the ore you need."

The girls headed to the indicated where they found a lot of rocks about the size of a watermelon rolling around the beach. It looked very strange. Daphne turned to Hermione and said, "I would guess this is the place and these are the stones." Hermione nodded and called forth her pet, Jane, shrinking her so she wouldn't be confused with the original. Daphne charmed one of the nearby stones.

"Well, I guess we need to get started!", Hermione said and blasted the closest uncharmed rolling stone. The stone promptly attacked her and Jane cast a rooting spell on it. With that, Daphne joined the fight and they quickly finished off the stone.

"These things fight fairly well for just being a round rock! I wonder who bothered to enchant them and why?", Daphne said. A good distance away, two young Dwarves rolling stones down a long, steep tunnel, sneezed.

Suddenly, a large stone bigger than a beach ball rounded a jutting portion of the cliff and seemed to notice them. It promptly attacked!

Jane and the charmed stone moved to intercept with Jane casting a root spell. Hermione and Daphne fired their blasting spells. Hermione fired her Mind Burst then wondered how you could do mind damage to a stone but you apparently could. Daphne cast Medusa Shock as her follow up. Between their pets and spells, they soon destroyed the large stone. Daphne moved the rubble around with her toe and noticed a glint. She picked up the glint and discovered a ring with a magical aura.

"How did that get in there?!", she wondered aloud.

Hermione shrugged. "It must have rolled over the ring at some point and just added it to itself. Well, we still need more ore so let's get busy."

**[Nabiki, Luna, and Shampoo]**

****Luna walked up to froglok standing in front of an open tent with a smaller froglok standing next to him. "Hello, good sir. And such a nice looking boy."

The froglok returned the greeting, "Good day, travelers. I am Flibbit Quagmarr and this is my son, Splorpy. Have you come to Erollis Isle to pay tribute to the Marrs?"

"We are on our way to consult at the temple. I am Luna, this is Nabiki, and this is Shampoo."

"Ah! Your names we have heard! News of your aid to Pilgrim's Landing has reached our ears.", Flibbit exclaimed. "My son and I have made the pilgrimage to Erollis Isle and we plan on finding a place to live in New Halas. Unfortunately, we cannot continue on to New Halas until the path is made safe once again."

Nabiki asked, "What is wrong with the path?"

"Many pilgrims that have tried to make their way to New Halas have sadly fallen along the way. The grizzlies are eating their remains.", Flibbit explained. "Though it may be the natural way of life, it has accustomed the bears to the taste of the pilgrims' flesh, making the bears very dangerous to travelers in this area."

"What would you have us do?", Nabiki queried.

"Please clear out the blizzard grizzlies around Gwenevyn's Cove so that the pilgrims traveling through this area are not hunted by the grizzly bears. It is unfortunate that the grizzlies must be killed, but the pilgrimage to the Cairn of The Huntress is of more importance.", Flibbit pleaded.

Shampoo said, "We understand. We will clear a safe path for the pilgrims and return to you once we have finished."

Flibbit bowed in thanks. "I shall watch for your return."

"Goodbye, Flibbit. 'Bye, Splorpy", Luna waved.

"Ok, girls.", Nabiki said. "Let's go bear hunting!"

**[Harry and Ranma]**

****The two young men had decided to scout around the camp a little to get the lay of the land. They had just killed a couple of bears when they encountered something distressing! There were fresh Orc footprints within the snow not far from the camp! They headed back to camp to report this to Wregan.

As they approached the place where they had last seen Wregan, a man ran up to them.

"Harry, Ranma, it was horrible! A blizzard grizzly attacked Wregan!"

"I'm sorry, but who are you?", Ranma asked. "And are you sure it wasn't an Orc?"

"I'm Verien Skysigh, Wregan's assistant. The bear was still standing over him when the guard here spotted... Wait! Why would you think it was an Orc?!"

"We found fresh Orc footprints when we scouting the area.", Harry replied.

"Ack! That is not good. No, not at all.", Verien moaned. "That may even explain the grizzly attack! Perhaps they have been displaced from their den or pushed into attacking, whipped into a frenzy, if you would, by the Orcs' presence?"

Harry considered the idea. "That sounds plausible."

Verien wrung his hands. "Then someone must delve into the blizzard grizzly den in search for any sign of the Orcs in there."

Ranma said, "I'll do that." He turned to Harry. "Why don't you get the tent set up. It looks like we are going to be here for a few days."

"I agree.", Harry replied.

**[Harry]**

****As Harry moved to where he planned to set the tent up, he encountered a halfing man playing a flute. The little man approached him and said, "Howdy do! I have not yet thanked you for all of the help you are giving us. By the way, I'm Jaisen Tutwhittle."

Harry smiled. "You're welcome."

Jaisen continued, "I mean it! If you had not come around, we would certainly be dead. We would have froze to death or been slain by bear!"

Harry said, "Speaking of bear, I found this being chewed on by one of them."

"Oh, my!", Jaisen cried out. "That is the helm of a Ry'Gorr Orc! I have seen it before and you never forget something as odd as that. I have yet to see an ulthork, but I imagine that's what died to make this helm. It must be quite old."

"Then this is evidence that the Orcs have been hunting the bears!", said Harry with some excitement.

"You're right!" Jaisen was almost hyper. "It is as we suspected then. The Orcs have aggravated the bears, making them lash out at anyone, pilgrim and adventurer, alike!"

Harry replied grimly, "Another reason to slay the Orcs when we find them! Thank you for your information."

He continued to the camp site and activated the tent.

**[Ranma]**

****Heading toward the bears' den, Ranma slipped into his stealth mode as he didn't want to waste time fighting the bears. It was good that he did as there were a lot of them including one that looked a lot tougher than the rest.

"Maybe, I'll come back later and see if I can take him.", Ranma thought.

Slipping into the cave, Ranma noted that most of the bears were resting, almost hibernating. He figured they would be very grouchy if he disturbed them.

There were piles of trash scattered everywhere. Carefully sifting through it, he looked for any sign of an Orc presence. He found nothing indicating Orcs had been around but did note a lot of ore outcroppings.

"I'll have to ask Kasumi if they would like to gather this. We'd have to bring someone to protect them while they mined it but if she thinks we need it, it could easily be done.", Ranma mused to himself.

Ranma quickly left the cave and returned to Gwenevyn's Cove, dropping his stealth as he got close.

"Hi again, Verien", Ranma said in greeting.

"Did you find any sign of Orcs within the blizzard grizzly den?", Verien wanted to know.

"No, there was no sign of them. There were plenty of bones and discarded items but nothing that seemed Orcish.", Ranma informed him.

"Then they must be somewhere else. But where?", Verien said, worried.

Ranma shrugged. "I don't know."

Verien Skysigh says, "Let me think on this a while."

"We'll check in with you later, probably in the morning. See you then." Ranma then headed for the group's tent.

**[Hermione and Daphne]**

****"Hello again, Blorpisa", Daphne greeted the froglok.

"Have you collected the arcane imbued ore?", Blorpisa asked with some excitement.

Hermione replied, "Yes, we have collected the ore for you."

"Thank you, Ladies!", Blorpisa said. "I will crumble and crush this ore into a fine powder and then use it to make ink to enchant my spell onto parchment, once I have perfected the spell."

"Let us know if it turns out successfully!", Hermione requested.

"Oh I shall, but I will not be able to test my spell for a while yet. I've got to hop about collecting some more materials first.", Blorpisa replied.

"If you need help with anything else, please let us know. We are glad to help the others here at Gwenevyn's Cove.", Daphne offered.

"I could use the help if you're offering!", Blorpisa replied. "I have been put in charge of making blankets for the people of Gwenevyn's Cove. I need unmarred fur pelts from the blizzard grizzly cubs. These cubs are found around a cave that is northwest of Gwenevyn's Cove."

"We will get the pelts for you.", Daphne promised.

"Thanks! That gives me time to continue working on that protection spell! I know it's distasteful to kill cubs, but I need their softer fur to make blankets. Besides, the number of bears has outgrown their natural food sources, making them a danger to the pilgrims. Thank you for doing this for me, Ladies.", Blorpisa said gratefully.

"We will return to you once we have gathered the pelts.", Hermione said.

A few hours later, Hermione and Daphne returned to the camp.

"You know, the cubs weren't too bad but the mothers, if you will pardon the pun, were a real bear!", Daphne commented.

"Ack! That is awful, Daphne!", Hermione groaned, then giggled. "Hello, Blorpisa. We're back."

"Have you skinned the pelts for me?", Blorpisa asked.

"Yes we have. Here are the pelts you requested.", Hermione replied.

"Great! I can get right to work stitching up the blankets. You did a fine job skinning, Ladies. None of the edges of the pelts are ragged.", Blorpisa exclaimed.

"Thank you. We did our best. Being a magic user has its benefits.", Daphne said with a smile.

"No, thank you, Ladies. You really are a life saver! I don't have much to give you, but please, take this coin for your troubles and one of my accessories.", Blorpisa said in appreciation.

"Thanks, Blorpisa. we can use it."

"I think we need to head back to the tent for the night.", Hermione said to Daphne.

"I agree! It's been a long day."

**[Nabiki, Luna, and Shampoo]**

****"Hello, Flibbit", Luna said cheerfully.

"Have you killed the pilgrim-eating grizzlies?", Flibbit asked hopefully.

"We have killed a large number of grizzlies. The path to New Halas should be much safer for the pilgrims now.", Nabiki replied.

"I am glad to hear it! Now my son and I can prepare to break camp and continue on our pilgrimage. I cannot spare much coin, so please take one of the helms that I have been mending.", Flibbit offered.

Nabiki accepted the helm. "Thank you, Flibbit."

The girls left to check in with their group and get something to eat. Roughly half an hour later,

Flibbit came running up in distress.

"Help me! My son has been taken!", Flibbit pleaded.

"Someone has taken Splorpy?", Luna asked.

Flibbit said in tears, "I cannot find him! I left our tent to go and collect some more wood for the fire, as it was my turn to do so, and now he is gone!"

Nabiki asked, "What can we do to help?"

"You must find him!" Flibbit pleaded. "Oh, if he has been eaten by a blizzard grizzly I will never forgive myself!"

"Is there anyone I can ask at Gwenevyn's Cove that might know where Splorpy has gone?", Nabiki queried.

"You could ask Sigbrith MacInnes. She is friendly towards us pilgrims. Perhaps she saw something while I was getting firewood.", Flibbit said wringing his hands.

"We will check with Sigbrith to see if she has seen Splorpy. Do not worry, we will find him.", Luna said.

"Thank you, Ladies! Please hurry!", Flibbit pleaded again.

"We will return once we have news for you.", Nabiki promised.

The girls approached the barbarian woman working the forge in the middle of the camp.

"Excuse me, Sigbrith MacInnes?", Nabiki asked politely. This was a very strong looking woman. Her instincts told her to never upset anyone that pounded metal for a living.

The large woman replied, "That'd be me. What can I do for you?"

"We am looking for a small froglok child called Splorpy Quagmarr. Have you seen him recently?", Nabiki continued.

Sigbrith MacInnes says to you, "I saw little Splorpy run off and play with the other children. They went over the hill, to the southwest."

Shampoo exclaimed, "That's where the grizzlies are!"

"Yes, and if the children were chased by them they may have run even further away from our camp. I'm sure Splorpy is fine, but it's nice for you to have concern for these poor pilgrims.", Sigbrith observed.

"Thank you for the information. We will go and search for Splorpy."

With Nabiki tracking, the girls ventured out onto the Icemane Plains. It was a strange place with living whirlwinds, snow drifts, and snow flurries as well as the occasional bear. The elementals didn't seem to be aggressive but the bears were still very much so. Suddenly, a blizzard grizzly charged Shampoo!

Shampoo kicked it in the head as she flipped over it and followed up with a sword strike to the neck. Nabiki quickly notched three arrows and let them fly. They all struck the bear, one piercing the heart. Luna healed a minor bruise that Shampoo had received.

"Do you think we should salvage the bears we are killing as Kasumi, Ukyo, and Winky are doing?", Luna asked the others.

"Couldn't hurt. We can always sell what we don't need or want.", Nabiki replied. "Waste not, want not after all. It feels like they are doing some fishing now though."

"Yeah, with fish that fight!", Shampoo observed.

Suddenly, a small scared voice called out, "Hello? Who's there?"

Tucked in behind a large rock that had fallen from the cliff, they found the missing froglok.

Luna smiled and said, "Hi, Splorpy"

Luna giggled. "Splorpy! It's us, Luna, Shampoo, and Nabiki. We are friends of your daddy."

"I remember you! You killed the bad bears!", Splorpy exclaimed.

"That we did. How did you get out here?", Shampoo asked.

"I was playing hide and seek with the other kids when a huge man jumped out at us! We screamed and I hopped away as fast as I could!", Splorpy explained.

"You were frightened by a barbarian?", Nabiki wanted to know.

"No, Lady Nabiki! His whole body was a beard! I know what a barbarian looks like and this was not a barbarian.", Splorpy disagreed.

"Well, we're here to take you back to your dad. I think we should get going before you get any colder.", Nabiki said.

"Okay! Maybe dad will have some hot stew ready!", Splorpy said hopefully.

"Maybe.", Shampoo said with a laugh.

Returning to the camp, they were bombarded with many childish questions which Luna tried to answer while Nabiki and Shampoo kept watch for any dangers that might be around.

Luna called out, "Hello, Flibbit! We are back!"

"Splorpy! You have returned my son to me, Ladies! You are all that they have said! We are blessed to have a hero amongst us in our hour of need." Flibbit said as he hugged his son.

"We found him southwest of here. He said he was scared off by a large man with a beard.", Nabiki told Flibbit.

"A barbarian?" said Flibbit puzzled.

"He didn't think it was a barbarian. He described the beard as being all over.", Nabiki informed him.

"How odd. I wonder what it was he saw. The wilderness is no place for children! I will be glad when we have safely arrived in New Halas.", Flibbit stated.

"We am planning on ending up there as well, at least for a time.", Nabiki said.

"Perhaps we could go together when the time comes. I am but a poor pilgrim and could use your fighting skill. You never know what other dangers are out there on the ice shelf. Anyway, I thank you for finding my son and returning him to me safe and sound.", Flibbit said.

"We could not stand by and do nothing.", Luna said.

"Thank you, Ladies. I know it isn't much, but I have some coin to give. Please take them as a token of my thanks.", Flibbit offered.

"Thank you, Flibbit.", Nabiki accepted.

Nabiki turned to Luna and Shampoo. "It looks like we will be here a few days so we need to get back to the tent and settle in for the night. Shampoo and Luna nodded. (1)

**[Tent, Library/Study]**

****Harry and Ranma were on tap for the evening meal so they were in the kitchen working on a bear stew. Winky's magic had skinned, butchered, and stored the bears the group had collected. The portions not useable for anything else were converted to a compost.

The girls were waiting in the Library/Study for dinner to be ready and to discuss some things out of earshot of the boys. Hermione opened up the discussion.

"Do you all remember what we found out about Soul Bonds?"

Luna spoke up. "Yes, they are a union of the soul, mind, life, and magic of two or more compatible people. They require a feeling of love between the primary bond mates and at least level affection with the secondary bond mates. The love of the primary bond may not start out as romantic love but it will become that. The feeling can be one way at first as long as it is a strong one and the two are compatible."

"We think that was why we were selected as Harry and Ranma's team members: We were all both compatible and at least somewhat in love with them.", Daphne added blushing. "I fell in love with Harry because of the way he treated people and because of a thousand little things. I never expected to be with him, though."

"I had started thinking of Ranma as a possible life mate before all this happened.", Kasumi said. "I had suppressed my feeling because our sister Akane was the one our fathers were pushing to marry him. However, Ranma and Akane have decided that they are better off treating each other as brother and sister than potential lovers."

"My change of heart began when Ranma saved Akane from Saffron. I started thinking of him more than a jock and my sister's boyfriend.", Nabiki said. "Yeah, he's a jock but he is a lovable one and a cute one besides. And since Akane has given him up, well, let's say I've grown up since I pushed him off on her."

"Harry treated me as a friend when almost no one else did. That is why I went with him to the ministry to try and save Sirius. By the time he asked me to Professor Slughorn's party, I was totally in love with him.", Luna informed them.

"I have been in love with Ranma since we were six when our fathers engaged us to be married. I admit to being angry and trying to kill him when I thought he knew about the engagement and abandoned me.", Ukyo said. "Of course, it was his lazy, good for nothing father that was really at fault."

"Even though Ranma is my husband by our laws, I didn't really fall for him until he saved me from the Ghost Cat.", Shampoo chimed in. "Although, I've always thought he was too too cute."

"I met Harry on the train to Hogwarts our first year when we were eleven. I thought then he was cute. He saved me from a troll Halloween that year and we became friends, along with Ron Weasley. That's when I began falling for him.", Hermione said. "Sixth year, I started chasing Ron because I thought Harry would never feel that way about me. I suppose Ron's mother influenced that because she was always pushing us together. But really, Ron and I fight all the time so I don't see that working. What about you, Winky?"

Winky's cheeks turned red. "Winky, er, I have cared about Harry Potter for a while as a house elf does to a good master. When Merlin gave me this form, my feelings began to change. I know this form can mate with a human and I would very much to do so with Harry Potter."

The girls all smiled knowingly.

"It seems both Harry and Ranma are a bit clueless about relationships.", Hermione stated. "This means we are going to have to slowly bring them along. This is what I suggest but other ideas are welcome. Tonight after we eat..."

Twenty minutes later, Ranma call out, "Yo!, food's ready!"

**[After dinner, Kitchen/Dinning Room]**

****When everyone had finished eating, Kasumi got up and sat in Ranma's lap. She hugged him and then kissed him gently on the lips. "Thank you, Ranma!"

Nabiki, Ukyo, and Shampoo quickly repeated her actions while Hermione, Daphne, Luna, and a blushing Winky did the same for Harry.

Both males looked totally gobsmacked. Luna just laughed as she used her wand to clean up and put things away.

**[Next morning after breakfast, Outside]**

****After a repeat performance by the girls at breakfast, the boys were again a bit dazed but ready to proceed with the day.

"Good morning, Verien!", Harry said in greeting.

Verien looked up and said, "Good morning to you as well. I think I have figured out our next step. We do not know the safest way to New Halas! We were relying on Wregan for that knowledge. And we do not know where the Orcs may have gone. We need to get the lay of the land."

"That makes sense.", Ranma agreed.

"Would you hike up to the top of the blizzard grizzly den? The higher vantage point should allow you to find our best path across the land, and may offer you some knowledge into where the Orcs went.", Verien requested.

"Nabiki and Ukyo are our scouts so it might be best if they go.", Harry suggested.

"We'll be sure to take in the view while we're there.", Nabiki grinned. Ukyo nodded.

"I guess the rest of us spread out and see what we can help with today.", Ranma said. "Kasumi, you, Winky, Harry, and I should go see if you can use the ore I noticed in the bears' den. If you want it, four of use can mine it quickly and take down any threats if we need to."

"I'll probably just use my wand to knock them out. No need to kill more than we have to.", Harry said as the four set off for the cave.

**[Luna and Shampoo]**

****"Good morning, Flibbit!", Luna said with a cheerfully voice.

"Good morning, Ladies. How are you finding Gwenevyn's Cove?", Flibbit replied.

"We are finding enough work to keep us busy for a little while. How are you and Splorpy faring?", Luna said.

"We are doing very well. I have been taking stock of our supplies, and while they have been depleted during our long stay in Gwenevyn's Cove, I hope that we can restock soon and be on our way. Say, can you spare a moment to help us?", asked Flibbit.

Shampoo nodded. "What do you need help with?"

"Splorpy had a little metal Effigy of Mithaniel that he always carried in his pocket. Unfortunately he has lost it somewhere on the ice shelf.", Flibbit explained.

"We will keep an eye out for it.", Luna said.

"I think it might have been picked up in the eddy of a frigid whirlstorm elemental. I fear it is long gone by now, but if you happen to come across it in your travels, Splorpy and I would be grateful for its return.", Flibbit informed them.

"We will look for Splorpy's Effigy of Mithaniel and return to you if we find it.", Luna reassured him.

"Excuse me, Ladies", Blorpisa called out. "I'm Blorpisa Bogchild."

"Hello, Blorpisa. I am Luna and this is Shampoo. How are you?", Luna said.

"I myself am well, but the Frost-born Ward that I've been creating is not going so well. It appears that I am still missing a few key components to the formula.", Blorpisa explained.

"Is there anything we can do to help?", Shampoo asked.

"I overheard that you might be going out onto the Icemane Plains. I've created an Iced Trap to capture a few elementals to provide me with the missing components. If you are not too busy, you could hop west of here and collect iceflows and snowpacks. That would save me a lot of time.", Blorpisa requested.

"We can capture some elementals for you.", Luna said.

"Thank you! Just take the Iced Trap and use it on any iceflow or snowpack. They should be instantly attracted to it. I do not anticipate any problems.", Blorpisa instructed.

"I am sure we can handle a few small elementals.", Luna smiled.

"Thanks, and good luck!", Blorpisa replied

"We will return to you once we have collected the elementals you need."

A while later, Luna and Shampoo stood staring at a frigid whirlstorm.

"How do you hit a living wind?", Shampoo wondered.

"I have no idea, Shampoo. I think my magic will hurt them but just in case, be prepared to run.", Luna suggested.

"Too too good idea.", Shampoo returned. She notched an arrow and fired it at the elemental. Surprisingly, the arrow hit something and the whirlstorm staggered. It then turned to the girls and used some kind of ranged attack on them. Luna cast Velium Wind to damage and slow the elemental and followed it with her Wrath spell. Shampoo moved into melee range and begin slashing it with her swords. (2) Even though she did not think it would do much, Luna cast Plague on the whirlstorm and was surprised when it did do damage. Seeing Shampoo taking some hits, Luna cast a Regeneration on her. Soon the wind elemental was defeated and dissipated. (3)

"Apparently, there is something solid inside that wind that we can hit.", Luna observed. "We will have to fill the group in on this."

"Looks like we got lucky.", Shampoo said as she shifted through the remains. "It seems that this particular whirlstorm picked up not only Splorpy's Effigy but some coin and a piece of jewelery as well."

"That is good!", Luna exclaimed. "Now all we have to do is get Blorpisa his thingies and we can head back! This ice and snow is boring after a while."

"Hail, Flibbit!", Shampoo called.

"I don't suppose you have any word about the Effigy of Mithaniel?", Flibbit asked with some hesitation.

"We do! We found it in a frigid whirlstorm, just as you suspected.", Shampoo replied.

Flibbit smiled. "You are good to my son and me. I shall not forget your kindness, Ladies."

"We are glad to be able to return it to Splorpy.", Luna smiled back as they went to find Blorpisa.

"Hello, Blorpisa. We have something for you!", Luna called.

"Have you captured the elementals I asked for, Ladies?", Blorpisa said excitedly.

"We have captured the elementals for you, four of each kind.", Shampoo assured him.

"Excellent! That's much more than I hoped. With this many elementals I am sure I will be able to make progress on the Frost-born Ward.", Blorpisa enthused.

"We am glad that you are pleased with our efforts.", Luna said with a grin.

"I am more than pleased, Ladies. You are saving us! With every bit of aid you give us here in Gwenevyn's Cove, you help to ensure our survival within this inhospitable land. We are sure to live to see Mithaniel's blessed city of New Halas because of you and your group!", Blorpisa stated emphatically.

"It is the right thing to do.", Shampoo stated.

"If only everyone had your heart, Ladies. Now, surely you have other things that must be done on this day. If you find yourself with more free time, I could always use your assistance.", Blorpisa gushed.

"We or someone from our group will return if you need help.", Luna said as she waved goodbye.

Luna and Shampoo headed back to the tent to call it a day.

**[Hermione and Daphne]**

****Blorpisa called out in greeting, "Hello, Ladies."

"Good morning! How are things with you, Blorpisa?", Daphne asked.

"As thanks for making the blankets, they've now decided I should prepare dinner!", Blorpisa mock groaned.

"The nerve of some people!", Hermione laughed.

"It's as the old saying goes: there's always something more to do around camp. I don't mind cooking over the fire, it's just that there's nothing to cook! I have a delicious recipe for cod, but it's too cold to swim in the Frostfang Sea and I don't know how to use a fishing pole.", Blorpisa said with a bit of despair.

"Kasumi, Ukyo, and Winky were doing some fishing yesterday and the Frostfang Sea didn't seem too cold to them.", Daphne said.

"Really? Maybe I'm getting old. If it's not too cold for you, would you mind getting the Iceclad cod that I need for my recipe? I think everyone would like a nice bit of cod and chips for dinner.", Blorpisa said with a brighter tone.

"We can get the Iceclad cod for you. It is amazing what enchanted clothes and warming spells will do.", Hermione noted.

"You will find the large Iceclad cod in the Frostfang Sea, northwest of here. I will need them to be large Iceclad cod in order to feed everyone.", Blorpisa instructed.

"Then we shall return with the large Iceclad cod.", Hermione promised.

"It's a good thing Ranma is not doing this. He hates being turned into a girl.', Daphne observed.

"I don't think he hates it as much as he claims, at least, not anymore. You heard Nabiki telling about him using his girl form to score free food and ice cream, didn't you.", Hermione countered.

"Yeah.", Daphne laughed. "These are the ones Kasumi said fight back?"

"I believe so.", Hermione said, calling forth Jane. Both girls entered the water and Daphne charmed a passing barracuda to be her pet.

They located a large Iceclad cod and started their sea hunt. After few hours, they had more than enough for Blorpisa and their own stores.

"Hi again, Blorpisa", Daphne called.

"Did you get the large Iceclad cod?", Blorpisa asked expectantly.

"We have enough large cod for everyone to eat well tonight with plenty left over for later!", Hermione said as she and Daphne handed over the fish.

"Splendid, Ladies! I shall get right to work cooking up the fish and chips for dinner.", Blorpisa said pleased.

"We are glad that we were able to help you out.", Daphne told him.

"We are truly in your debt, Ladies. I've collected some coin from the other citizens of Gwenevyn's Cove. It isn't much, but it's better than nothing, right?" Blorpisa said as he handed over some coin.

"It's more than enough. Thank you, Blorpisa.", Hermione said as she and Daphne left, heading back to the tent, tired out from their efforts.

**[Nabiki and Ukyo]**

****The girls slipped into stealth as they approached the hill to avoid having to fight the bears. If they killed too many more, they would go from overpopulated to underpopulated and they were needed to maintain the natural balance.

As they reached the peak of the hill, the Icemane Plains were spread out before them. In the distance, they saw the mountains that made up the central portion of the island. There were two visible paths: One leading to the area known as the Great Shelf and the other leading up into the hills. After making notes and a few sketches, they returned down the hill and returned to Gwenevyn's Cove. Finding Verien, they greeted him.

"Tell me, what did you find atop the blizzard grizzly den, Ladies? Any sign of the Orcs?", Verien asked anxiously.

"No. But we did see a path we may be able to take.", Nabiki said as she showed him the sketches and notes.

"Well, at least we have that. Where must we go?", Verien asked.

"The western shore leads into the dangerous plains ahead, but there seems to be a path leading into the hills above it.", Ukyo said pointing it out on the drawing.

"If that is the case then we may just stand a better chance of surviving the trek to the city by taking that hill trail.", Verien noted.

"I hope so, Verien.", Nabiki said.

"Higher lands of snow are not necessarily the safest of conditions though, you know.", Verien said as he rubbed his chin.

"Yeah, that is true.", Ukyo agreed.

"Will you please go scout out the path you spotted from atop the blizzard grizzly cave? Once you have confirmed that it is as clear as you suspect, then return to us and we will make our way.", Verien requested.

"We can do that for you.", Nabiki said.

"Forgive me if you think I'm being timid, but I am leery about walking into a trap or into a treacherous situation.", Verien said with a sigh.

"We understand.", Nabiki said.

Nabiki and Ukyo set out immediately to scout the trail they had seen. The trail was fairly easy but unfortunately when they got a ways up the trail at a point blocked from view of their earlier vantage point, an avalanche had totally blocked the path. Disappointed, they returned to Verien.

"What did you find, Ladies? Is the path clear for us to take?", Verien asked with anticipation.

"No. Unfortunately, there is no way through. It is a dead end, blocked by a great weight of snow, ice, and rocks", Nabiki told him.

"As I had thought, it was too good to be true. Then we have only one choice. We must go west through the dangerous plains if we hope to reach the city of New Halas.", Verien decided.

"It seems the only choice.", Ukyo agreed.

"But I do not know how we are going to make it past the grizzlies. Their hunger seems insatiable!", moaned Verien.

"Ranma has made it deep into their cave.", Nabiki noted.

"That's right, he has. And you have survived the hike atop their cave. Your group has obviously learned how to fight them and how to navigate around them when possible.", Verien conceded.

"But that's just us. That's not all of you, too. And we may not be with you on that part of the journey.", Ukyo pointed out.

"I'll have to think about this awhile. Have someone check back with me later, if you can.", Verien requested.

Nabiki and Ukyo decided they had done enough for the day and headed for the tent to rest up.

**[Tent Living Room, after dinner]**

****The girls had continued their reconditioning of Harry and Ranma, who, of course, enjoyed the new training routine. After 'training', the group had moved to the living room.

As Kasumi sat cuddled into Ranma and Winky sat on Harry's lap, Hermione, Daphne, and Nabiki passed out scrolls and books to the team.

"These contain information that can be used to improve your spells and techniques. They each cover only one spell or technique.", Hermione explained. "They can be used only once and then the magic causes them to disappear. It seems to be the local equivalent of a copyright. Although we got these off of the Orcs we fought while we were on Pilgrim's Isle, they are written in Common. We should be able to get more when we get to New Halas."

"We also obtained material to teach us the Orcish language.", Daphne added. "Apparently, the magic of Norrath allows you to speak and understand the spoken language if you can read it. We have enough so everybody can learn Orcish. This will be useful to understand their officer commands and for our scouts to spy on them. We need to keep an eye out for other language learning materials we can use." She turned and looked at Nabiki.

"Lastly, we found several scrolls that contain crafting recipes.", Nabiki continued. "Based on what Kasumi, Ukyo, and Winky found out from the smith at the refugee camp, there are nine crafting professions. We feel that we should each take up one that best suits our adventuring profession and learn that when we get to New Halas. I plan on learning Woodworking because they make arrows as well as bows and I go through a lot of arrows. We will store the crafting scrolls in the library until we can use them."

"Daphne, Nabiki, and I are keeping a journal of what we encounter and learn. Please let us know if you have anything to add to it.", Hermione requested. "Now what do you want to do for the rest of the evening?"

"Snuggle!", Winky giggled.

And so they did.

**[Following morning, Outside]**

****"Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen. I am still thinking about the problem with the path to New Halas. In the meantime, the froglok pilgrims are becoming cold. Their amphibious bodies were not blessed by Marr with much protection from the elements.", Verien greeted them.

"This is nothing like a swamp.", Ranma commented.

"Exactly. Wregan had promised to hunt them up some lion pelts to keep them warm. He had said that they were not far from here, but we have never seen any. Will you journey ahead and slay any of the big icemane cats you find?" Verien requested.

"We can get your lion pelts." , Harry offered.

"Thank you, brave friends. I thank the gods that you arrived here when you did.", Verien said.

"We're glad to help.", Harry replied.

The group talked among themselves and decided that most of them would join the hunt for the lion pelts. The remainder would continue helping out the inhabitants of the camp.

**[Harry, Ranma, Nabiki, Ukyo, Kasumi, and Winky]**

****As they prepared to set out for their hunt, Flibbit Quagmarr approached them. "I understand you are going to hunt lions this morning. Is this so?"

"Yes, Verien asked us to obtain some pelts to help keep the frogloks warm. How can we help you?", Harry asked.

"My son Splorpy's jacket has become torn. He cannot go across the ice shelf with a hole in his jacket, and so we are delayed until I can repair it.", Flibbit informed them.

"What do you need to repair it?", Ranma queried.

"I need the pelts from icemane cubs. Their fur is soft and the leather will be supple enough to make a coat jacket small enough for Splorpy.", Flibbit explained.

"We will get the icemane cub pelts you need while we are hunting the large lions. We will make sure that we get enough to allow you to repair Splorpy's jacket.", Harry promised.

"Thank you, Friends. May Mithaniel light your way!", Flibbit blessed them.

"We will return once we have the pelts for you.", Harry confirmed.

It took a while but eventually, the group had gathered all the required pelts. Since no one had any desire to try lion meat, on the way back to camp the carcases were tossed in the sea to become fish food. They didn't seem to last long.

Harry greeted Verian as they entered the camp. "Hello again, Verien!"

"Have you the icemane cat pelts necessary for the frogloks?", Verien inquired.

"We sure do!", Ranma replied.

"Ah, this is wonderful! In fact, you may have returned with enough fur for us to craft you something, too.", Verien told the group.

"Oh my! That would be very nice.", Kasumi said.

The group moves toward Flibbit and his son's quarters.

Seeing the group approach, Flibbit calls out, "Do you have any news for me?"

"We have collected the icemane cub pelts that you requested.", Harry informed him.

"Thank you, Friends! Now I can finish Splorpy's jacket as well as something else I have been working on. I have salvaged some accessories, perhaps you can find a use for one of them?", Flibbit said tenatively.

"Thank you, Flibbit.", Harry said. "These are very nice."

"You deserve so much more!", Flibbit protested. "This trinket was the least I could do to repay you for all the help you have given my son and me."

"We are glad that we was able to help you and your son on your pilgrimage.", Ranma said.

The group headed back to their tent.

**[Luna and Shampoo]**

****Flibbit greeted Luna and Shampoo. "Are you free to help us, further?", he asked.

"Yes, we are. Do you need anything else for your pilgrimage?", Luna replied.

"Actually I do. There are still a few things I must do before Splorpy and I can continue on our pilgrimage.", Flibbit told them.

"Is there anything we can help with?", Shampoo asked.

"Well, a few minutes ago, I saw some mercenaries carrying a strange ice crystal. When I inquired where they got it from, I was informed that they grow on the Icemane Plains. Unfortunately, I am no warrior so I cannot venture out there to collect them myself. I would have asked your friends to do it but they have already left on their hunt.", Flibbit explained.

"We could head out that way and collect them for you.", Shampoo said.

"If you would be so kind, I would greatly appreciate it.", Flibbit said.

Luna asked, "What do you hope to do with them?".

"Assuming they have no alchemical properties, I shall try to use them to trade for goods, room and board in New Halas. I hope that it will give us a better start there."

"We will look for these strange ice crystals upon the Icemane Plains.", Shampoo promised.

"Thank you, Ladies."

"We shall return with the crystals.", Shampoo confirmed.

Shampoo and Luna spent a while dodging lions and seeking out the unusual crystals. Finally, accomplishing their goal, they returned to the camp.

Flibbit greeted them upon their return. "Have you had any luck finding the ice crystals?"

"We did find some of the strange ice crystals. Oddly enough, they do not melt from heat and while I am no alchemist, I think it means they are not made of ice.", Luna told him.

"That is odd indeed.", Flibbit said, puzzled. "I shall have to study these further. Unfortunately, my field kit is not up to this level of work, but perhaps I can discover the most basic properties of these crystals."

"Good luck with your experiments.", Luna said.

"Thank you, Ladies. Please accept this as a token of my gratitude.", Flibbit said, handing them some coin and a piece of armor.

"It was no problem for us to collect the crystals.", Luna assured him. "Thank you for your gift."

Verien called out to Luna and Shampoo, "Ladies, you just returned from the Icemane Plains didn't you. Did you see any of the ferocious grizzlies amongst the icemane cats?"

"No, we did not. Why do you ask?", Luna replied.

"I have been giving some thought to how we may increase our safety while we journey past the grizzlies.", Verien said. "The bears have learned to steer clear of the icemane cats, as you can attest."

"It would seem so.", Luna agreed.

"So, if we have some of the cats working as our chaperones, then we should make it past the grizzlies.", Verien suggested.

"How are we to fool the cats into doing that?", Shampoo inquired.

"There is no fooling them. I'm suggesting you take this binding tether and leash icemane cubs with it.", Verien said.

"We can get you your cubs.", Luna said.

"Be sure to bring them back here as quickly as possible. Then tether them to the icemane post nearby.", Verien instructed. "That is our only hope in dealing with them."

Luna replied, "We understand."

Luna and Shampoo returned the the area they had been harvesting crystals. Luna simply used her wand to stun four of the icemane cubs and levitated them. Shampoo placed tethers on them and they returned to camp with the cubs floating along behind like birthday balloons.

When they got back to camp, Shampoo tied the tethers to the icemane post. Luna canceled her spells and they went to find Verien.

Shampoo said, "Hello, Verien. We have returned with your cubs."

"You have provided us with more than enough icemane cubs, Ladies.", Verien informed them. "Please take this coin and piece of armor as a token of our appreciation. We are all very grateful for what you have done."

"Thank you, Verien!", Luna said with a smile.

"And now that I know that these pilgrims will be safe, I must venture back to Pilgrims' Landing. Someone must alert them of all that has transpired here, and of the Orc prints you found.", Verien said tiredly.

"Farewell, Verien!", the girls chorused as they turned toward the tent.

**[Hermione and Daphne]**

****"Good morning, Blorpisa", Hermione said.

"Hermione and Daphne! It is a most lovely day, is it not?", Blorpisa said with a smile.

Daphne laughed and said, "If you define lovely as freezing cold, then it is indeed lovely."

"I have made great progress on the Frost-born Ward! It is finally ready for its first field test. Will you do the honors?", Blorpisa asked.

"Sure! This is exciting!", Hermione said.

"Now I make no guarantees that this spell will work. Remember that this is a field test.", Blorpisa reminded them.

"We know, Blorpisa.", Hermione assured him.

"Let's see, where should you go to test my spell?", Blorpisa said tapping his temple with his finger.

"Is there anything else you need gathered?", Daphne inquired.

Blorpisa brightened. "Oh, yes! I do need some ice lilies. I feel that they will add a special component to the Frost-born Ward."

"Where can we find these ice lilies?", Daphne wanted to know.

"They grow on the Icemane Plains. You should have no trouble finding them, they are quite beautiful. Here, I shall cast the spell on you.", Blorpisa replied.

"We shall return to you once we have gathered the ice lilies.", Hermione told him.

Proceeding to the Plains, Hermione and Daphne found that the lilies were indeed easy to find but so were the icemane lions. The lions did not seem to be any less aggressive. After having to kill several, the girls managed to finish collecting the lilies and headed back. They found Blorpsia at the main camp fire as usual.

"Hello, Blorpisa. We're back.", Hermione greeted him.

"Have you collected the ice lilies for me?", Blorpisa wanted to know.

"Yes, we have the lilies you wanted. As you told us, they weren't hard to find.", Daphne told him.

"And how did my spell fare?", Blorpisa said with anticipation.

"We're sorry, Blorpisa, but it didn't work at all. We were attacked by every lion that we came across.", Hermione informed him.

"That is terrible! I do apologize! This is a very experimental spell, and I've been working as quickly as I can to get it working so that we do not lose yet more pilgrims to the hazards of New Halas.", Borpisa explained.

"I understand your dilemma.", Hermione said. "New spells often require a lot of testing before it is ready to use but the need is now."

"Thank you, my friends! Will you continue to help me?", Blorpisa asked.

"Yes, we can handle lions, bears and other creatures just fine.", Daphne said.

"I am glad to hear it!", Blorpisa exclaimed. "I shall incorporate these ice lilies into the ink for my spell. Return to me when you are recovered enough to do a second field test."

"We will get something to eat and return to you when we are finished.", Hermione said.

The girls went to the group tent to get a bite to eat. Hermione had found the instructions for the tent and was reading it as she ate. Daphne was reading a history of Norrath.

"Look here, Daphne!", Hermione exclaimed. "This says we can add a greenhouse to the tent if we want, as well as other rooms like work rooms, storage, and more bedrooms!"

"Yes, remember Nabiki found that out when she found the control panel although I didn't realize a greenhouse was an option. We could grow some of our food and have some place to see something green rather than all this ice and snow.", Daphne responded.

"Yes, I remember Nabiki finding the panel now. But more important than more rooms is that the tent has a concealment mode that causes it to blend in with its current environment.", Hermione said excitedly. "Plus it is warded to withstand a lot of damage!"

"Well, if we put it into concealment mode, we need to make sure we can still find it.", Daphne laughed. "Time to see what Blorpisa needs this time.

"Hi again, Blorpisa. What have you got for us?" Daphne asked as she and Hermione walked up.

"My friends, I have made the necessary modifications to my Frost-born Ward.", Blorpisa replied.

"Does that mean it's time for another field test?", Hermione inquired.

"It does! Are you ready, brave friends?", Blorpisa asked.

"Where shall we go to test the spell this time?", Daphne asked him.

"There is an overhang on the Icemane Plains called Pride Overlook. As the name implies, it is within the lions' territory. It is also near path to the Great Shelf, which is where I plan on going next, as it is the next stop on the pilgrims' path.", Blorpisa informed them.

"We will head to Pride Overlook and check it out.", Hermione said.

"Here, let me cast the spell on you. Do take care!" Blorpisa cast the spell on the girls.

"We will return to you once we have scouted out the location.", Hermione said.

The girls found the Overlook without much difficulty. Most of that difficulty was in the form of aggressive lions. Disappointed, they returned to Blorpisa.

"Did the Frost-born Ward work this time, my friends?", Blorpisa wanted to know.

"No, your spell did not work. At all.", Daphne stated.

"I am terribly sorry! I really thought it would work this time!", Blorpisa apologized.

"Well, it didn't.", Daphne complained.

"I wonder what could be wrong with it. Hmm... I shall have to find new sources of power for my spell. Fortunately, I am traveling on to the Great Shelf, so perhaps I can continue my work there.", Blorpisa mused.

"Maybe we will see you there.", Hermione said.

"Thank you for all of your help, Hermione and Daphne. I cannot express how truly grateful I am for all you have done. It is not much, but please take this as a bit of payment for your troubles.", Blorpisa offered.

"Thank you, Blorpisa!", Hermione said with a smile. "May your travels be safe ones! Come on, Daphne. Time to call it a day!"

**[The next morning, Outside]**

****After spending some time the night before 'training' the guys, the group was up bright and early to head to the next stop on their way to New Halas. Hermione packed the tent and handed it to Harry, who placed it in his pack again.

As they were walking out of the camp, Filbbit approached them.

"Good morning, Flibbit", Luna greeted him.

"Good morning, Friends. The time has finally come for my son Splorpy and I to leave Gwenevyn's Cove and continue on our pilgrimage to New Halas.", Flibbit told them.

"That is great news, Flibbit!", Luna said.

"It is great news indeed. I would ask for your help one last time, my friends.", Flibbit requested.

"What do you need us to do?", Harry asked.

"I need you to protect my son, Splorpy. I am no fighter and the ice shelf is a dangerous place. If you would escort my son to the next stop along the pilgrimage, the Great Shelf, I would be most appreciative.", Flibbit pleaded.

"Why would you split up with your son?", Hermione wanted to know.

"I know that he will be safer with you. You have the experience, the skills and the knowledge necessary to escort him safely to the Great Shelf.", Flibbit said.

Harry looked around at the group. "Okay, we will take little Splorpy to the Great Shelf."

"Thank you! I will catch up with you both, soon. I have heard rumors of a small cavern carved out by some dwarves. I'll meet you there.", Flibbit promised.

"We're on our way. Is Splorpy ready to go?", Harry asked.

"He is. Take care, I shall see you all at the Great Shelf!", Flibbit said as he headed off.

"See you there!", Luna called.

Splorpy tugged on Harry's sleeve so Harry bent down to see what he wanted. "I have to go to the bathroom.", the little froglok whispered.

Harry face-palmed!

Author Notes:

(1) Nodding is not a universal gesture of agreement. However, for the purposes of this story, learning Norrath Common included the gestures one needs to understand. Strangely, these are the same as for the United States. That goes along with Common looking very much like American English.

(2) Normally, Guardians use a two-handed weapon or a single handed weapon and a shield although they are not excluded from using weapons in both hands. I chose to have Shampoo use dual swords, or sometimes dual maces, because she is usually shown with them in the anime. She may use other weapons at other times, depending on the situation.

(3) I'm not going to describe every battle, only the ones that contain something new or that are significant to the story. This scene explains how a elemental made from wind (or water, snow, fire, steam, etc.) can be hit and killed.


	4. The Path to New Halas, pt 2

**Disclaimer: **See first chapter.

**AN:**

Some of the dialog in this chapter is drawn straight from the Everquest II game and modified to suit the story needs. I'm not always satisfied with the way it flows but oh well.

**Beta:**

Me, Myself, and I still. There are bound to be mistakes, especially dropped final letters and suffixes.

**[Great Shelf, Erollis Isle]**

After reuniting Splorpy with his father, they spoke with the leaders of the local population and discovered this was where at least some of the Orcs they had previously encountered had come from. Setting up their camp near the less than spacious quarters of the coldain dwarves, the team spent several weeks assisting the coldain in their efforts to repel the invading Ry'Gorr Orcs. Blorpisa had also turned up and the team once again aided him with his sometimes successful, sometimes not, schemes to aid the coldain. They also provided assistance to the spirit of the slain Battlepriest Herga, in her efforts to drive off the Ry'Gorr.

A full night's sleep was never certain as the invaders were prone to attack at all hours. While the Orcs never came close to the team's camp and the tent looked like a pile of snow, the group responded to attacks when they came to assist the defenders.

As bad as the Ry'Gorr invaders were, they were worse when they were reanimated as skeletons and sent to attack the coldain. Although some of the slain defenders returned as spirits to fight the enemy undead, it was depressing to kill an Orc only to have it rise up hours later and resume attacking. Finally, the coldain scouts found hints that the Orcish necromancers were on a nearby chunk of ice called the Ossuary of Ice. The team was sent to investigate and returned to report to one of the coldain leaders, Dolur Axebeard.

"Friends, ye've managed to pinpoint the heart of the Ry'Gorr's operations. This is a most fortunate turn of events. Armed with this information, we stand a chance to take back Erollis Isle from the Orcs for good. But before we start celebrating...", Dolur began.

"We need to find and slay their leader.", Ranma interjected.

"And that means heading back to the Ossuary of Ice. But this time, ye'll be on the lookout for their leader and whatever tools he's using to power the totems the Orcs use to reanimate their dead.", Dolur instructed the team.

"How will we know when we've found the leader?", Harry asked.

"I've had this recurring vision, and now it makes sense. In my dreams, I see an unholy crystal, jutting out of the ice like a festering claw. The Ry'Gorr necromancers stand around the crystal.", Dolur said.

"What are they doing?", Hermione wanted to know.

"They worship it, day and night. From that dark crystal have they enchanted their dark totems, for dark purposes.", Dolur explained.

"And you think their leader can be found near the crystal?", Harry asked.

"Aye. Now that ye've found the crystal, he needs to protect it. He stands over it, tirelessly. He never sleeps. I can see his reflection in the crystal. His eyes burn with purpose.", Dolur said.

"He must be driven.", Daphne observed.

"He must be eliminated. Only by dealing with their fearless leader will we see any reprieve out here on the battlefield. Ye've seen firsthand that other tactics are ultimately ineffective.", Dolur said with determination.

"While we are there, we should destroy that crystal, as well. It feels like something we need to do.", Luna said with a slightly dreamy voice.

"Yes. After ye've dealt with the source of their leadership, ye'll want to destroy the source of those totems. Break the crystal.", Dolur agreed.

"What do you think the crystal is made of?", Hermione asked.

"I'm not certain, but if I had to guess... I'd say it's a piece of the sky that came raining down upon us that fateful day that we were separated from the rest of Velious. I'd say it's a piece of Luclin.", Dolur said considering the matter.

"Whatever it is, it must be destroyed.", Ranma stated firmly.

"There is no time like the present to get started!", Harry said. "Let's be on our way, team!"

"Best of luck to ye, friends.", Dolur said.

"We be back as soon as we can.", Kasumi said.

As they reached the shore closest to the named ice floe, Ranma stuck his toe in the water and promptly changed into Ranko (1).

"You'd think these people would have heard of rowboats or something!", Ranko growled.

Harry slapped his forehead and, using his wand, transformed a nearby log into a longboat. He then levitated it into the water and got in.

"I forgot I could do that.", he said sheepishly. Ranko just grumbled and got in. The girls followed, giggling. Harry directed the magically driven craft toward the Ossuary of Ice. Despite Ranko's occasional grumbling about forgetful mages, Harry and Ranko discussed how they should proceed with the attack on the Orcs around the cave. Disembarking on the ice floe, the team fought their way to where the cave containing the dark crystal. Harry called a halt before they entered the cave.

"Ranko and I have discussed how we need to proceed with this.", Harry informed the team. "Here is the plan we came up with. When we enter the cave, Kasumi and Luna, hang back so you can provide healing and shields when needed. Also, cast any spells you have that will hinder the enemy. Remember to keep an eye behind you in case more enemies enter the cave behind us. Nabiki and Ukyo, target any enemies that have conjured pets so they are taken out of the battle quickly. Ranko and Shampoo will move forward and form a battle line, aided by Nabiki, Ukyo, and myself, if necessary. Hermione, Daphne, Winky, and myself will start with Area Effect spell and follow up attacks on those that seem be weakest or causing us problems. Any questions or objections?"

When he got negatives from everyone, he continued, "Just remember one thing...No battle plan survives contact with the enemy. Stay sharp everybody!" (2)

As they entered the cave, Luna whispered, "This is really a Cave of Illboding Dark!". Coming around a slight bend in the cave, they spotted their targets. Harry looked around to see that everyone was ready. Seeing them aiming at their targets, he signaled GO and began casting Storm of Lightning. Nabiki and Ukyo's first shots struck their targets and the enemy was momentarily in chaos. Ranko and Shampoo moved forward to position themselves between the enemy and the rest of the team. The AE spells began landing amongst the Orcs, killing a few and wounding all of them.

The Orcs quickly shook off their surprise and began to return the attack.

A Ry'Gorr necromancer yells, "Crush!" and slashes at Shampoo but misses. Her counter strikes do not and he falls dead. A shattered Ry'Gorr's Raging Blow next to him hits Ranko doing some minor damage but it is quickly distroyed by Ranko's return blow and a blast from Winky.

"You will all die!, a Ry'Gorr spiritcaster growls as he swings a mace at Ukyo, who has moved up to stand beside Ranko. Ukyo parries the blow and follows through with a double slashing attack leaving the Orc on the ground dieing.

An ornately dressed Orc at the rear of the cave shouts, "You dare to meddle with Orug Deathmaker? You will all fall here!" and begins casting an ancient spell of smiting. Ukyo throws a shuriken using her Arctic Talon technique, disrupting his casting. A Ry'Gorr spiritcaster tries to crush Ukyo, but she parries. Nabiki nails him with a Flaming Arrow and he is down.

The teams mages cast another round of AE spells and destroy the remainder of the reanimated skeletons leaving only Orug and two necromancers still standing. Orug casts a Dissolve spell at Harry which hits causing moderate damage to his arm. Harry fires his blasting spell back at him, knocking Orug back a bit. Hermione, Daphne, and Winky concentrate on one of the remaining necromancer taking him out of the fight while Shampoo and Ranko quickly dispatch the other one.

Nabiki pours arrows into Orug Deathmaker but he seems to almost not feel them. Orug Deathmaker cast a spell which covers the team in a Suffocating Cloud making breathing and spell casting difficult. Shampoo, Ukyo, and Ranko move to engage him directly while Kasumi and Luna work to dispel the negative effects. "This guy is too too tough!", Shampoo said as her sword strike was parried.

"Yeah, but we can take him!", Ranko replied.

Orug attempted to slash Ranko, but missed when she dodged. Ukyo managed to do a lot of damage to Orug with her Lucky Gambit technique. Blasts from all the mages and strikes from Ranko, Shampoo, Ukyo, and Nabiki finally brought Orug down. Kasumi and Luna spent the next several minutes healing the battle damage to the group. Damage to armor and weapons would have to wait until they returned to the settlement at the Great Shelf. (4)

"Well done, team.", Harry congratulated them. "He was tougher than we expected but then we will get better with experience." He walked over to the dark crystal, which was giving off an aura of evil. "Anybody have an idea how to destroy this thing?"

"I would suggest hitting it with a mace or hammer." Luna said. "It is a crystal after all." Harry looked at Kasumi and smiled. "Be my guest!" As she was the only one carrying a mace at that point, Kasumi walked over and, using both hands, brought the mace down hard on the crystal. With an ear piercing sound, the crystal quivered for a moment and then fell into dust.

"I can no longer detect evil magic from the crystal.", Winky informed them.

"Well, I believe we are done here. Let's head back and report to Dolur.", Harry said.

Arriving back in the coldain stronghold, the team met with Dolur Axebeard and his co-leader, Belka Thunderheart.

"Ye've done so much for the coldain, my friends. We can finally, albeit reluctantly, bear to part with ye. There's others that need yer assistance now more than we do, now that all we have left is a little cleanup.", Belka said with some sadness.

"We are happy to do our part.", Harry smiled.

"The Ry'Gorr have taken their offensive elsewhere. We've received word that they've begun a surge upon the southern coast, and they've laid siege to the Cragged Spine. It's likely that they could use yer help out there, Harry.", Dolur said.

"Will the pilgrims be safe?", Ranko asked.

"So long as they stay here. We'll keep an eye on 'em until the offensive at Cragged Spine is over. In the meantime, you should head there, and quickly!", Belka stressed.

"We'll be on our way as soon as possible.", Harry replied.

"Yer actions have given us all hope out here, my friends, and ye've personally rescued me from the depths of despair. We will miss having ye around. Brell be with ye.", Belka stated.

**[Cragged Spine, Erollis Isle]**

On the morning of the third day after leaving the Great Shelf, the group arrived at the defender's encampment at Cragged Spine. While they had traveled as quickly as possible, they had used the two nights to recover a bit from the exhaustion of the past few weeks of battle.

As an old dwarf approached them, Luna said in dreamy tone,"It is good that we are here. There is something we must do for our mission."

As the old dwarf reached them, Harry greeted him, "Hello, good sir. We were asked to report here to assist in defending this site."

"Oi! It's about time we got some fresh blood to help stave off the Ry'Gorr offensive. We're in a heap of trouble.", the dwarf replied. "I'm Tad Ironstein by th' way, aide to the site commander, Thirin Veliumdelver."

"Well Mr. Ironstein, we are reporting for duty!", Harry assured him and introduced the team.

"Jus' call me Tad. I've heard good things about ye folk. Cop a squat and let me fill ye in on the details of our predicament.", Tad said.

"Go ahead. We're listening.", Harry prompted.

"Thirin has three officers, each with different problems. Hillfred Kinlock is the lass to talk to for your next assignment in tackling the Ry'Gorr that have been assaulting our camp.", Tad continured. "We're under siege from not just Orcs, but blasted imps as well. I understand Knut Orcbane is lookin' for adventurers willing to deal with the mischievous monsters. He's looking for his sanity as well, so maybe ye can help him find that too. Odon Scourgeson thinks he's come up with a way to shroud the beach front in a whorl of mist to confuse the Ry'Gorr. Sounds crazy to me, but I've always been a fan of the more direct hands-on approach. Lastly, Thirin is worried about the current state of our equipment, and I don't blame him. Our gear is falling apart from extended use, so there's real reason to be worried."

"Alright. Anything else?", Harry asked.

"That'll do, for starters. Glad to have ye aboard.", Tad answered.

"Glad to be here.", Harry assured him.

Harry turned to the group and began giving out instructions. "Daphne, would you check with Ms. Kinlock to find out what she needs done? Winky, find out what Knut Orcbane needs accomplished. Nabiki, please talk to Odon Scourgeson about his plans. I'll talk to Commander Veliumdelver. The rest of us should get camp set up. We'll meet in the tent as soon as we find out what tasks we need to do so we can figure out who needs to what."

**[Harry]**

"Commander Veliumdelver?", Harry inquired as he approached a coldain dwarf standing atop an outcropping of ice overlooking the battlefield.

"What do ye want, whelp? Can't you see I'm a bit busy with defending the Cragged Spine!?", Thirin snarled.

"Would you happen to be Thirin Veliumdelver? I heard you might need help here.", Harry asked politely.

"Oh, you want to help, do ye? Want to be some great hero now, huh? Well isn't that just grand.", Thirin almost spat.

"Do you have work for me or not?", Harry said with some exasperation.

"Fine, fine, I can come up with something for ye to help with.", Thirin growled.

"Good, just tell me what needs to be done.", Harry said.

"Well, we've been holding the Cragged Spine for some time now. So long in fact our equipment is starting to wear, rust or break.", Thirin explained with irritation. "Broken bows, snapped swords, destroyed chainmail, it's getting worse by the hour."

"So you need weapons and armor from The Great Shelf ?", Harry asked.

"No, you won't be returning. That would take too long. We will be taking the armor off the backs of those we've slain. It sounds crude, but it will be effective. I hate to have my men wearing Orcish armor, but no battle was ever won by looking fancy.", Thirin said.

"Alright, Thirin. We will get the armor for you.", Harry promised.

"Good. The Orcs are attacking from the south beach, so seek them out there. Do some good around here and I may think of you as more than useless.", Thirin growled again.

"Did you say useless?", Harry said a bit irritated himself.

**[Tent Living Room, a bit later]**

Harry, Daphne, Winky, and Nabiki had joined the rest of the team to go over what the locals needed of them.

Winky began with her report. "Knut Orcbane is a bit crazy but that may be 'cause of the animal spirit he wears on his head. He needs us to put a stop to the imps that is attacking with rocks and stealing supplies. They is on the ledge to the north. We should bring back any stolen supplies we find. That is all he needs for now."

"Odon ask us to use a potion he calls Draught of Whirling Ice at sites he has marked with arrows.", Nabiki reported. "It shouldn't be a big deal except for having to fight off Orcs.

"Hillfred just wants us to kill the Orcs on the south beach.", Daphne said. "Nothing complicated."

"And Thirin wants armor and weapons recovered from those same Orcs.", Harry stated.

"Sounds like most of the stuff we need to do for now is on the beach and involves killing Orcs.", Ranma noted. "Only the problems with the imps is someplace else."

"Agreed!", Harry said. "Ukyo, why don't you go with Winky to deal with the imps? Let us know if you need more help. The rest of us will hit the beach and deal with the Ry'Gorr invaders. First though, let's grab a quick bite to eat. It sounds like we will have a busy afternoon!"

**[Ukyo and Winky]**

"These imps worse than doxies back home.", Winky commented as her earthen avatar, named Stoney, crushed the life out of one.

"Doxies?, Ukyo inquired as her sword strike killed another.

"Pest wizardly peoples get in they houses. They have a nasty bite.", Winky explained.

Suddenly, they heard a screech behind them. "You no take Twiggle the Defiled's treasure. Twiggle stole it fair and square.", the larger than normal imp screamed at them and attacked.

Stoney moved to block and Ukyo and Winky dodged out of the way. Winky cast a spell and Ukyo threw a shuriken, both hitting the target. Twiggle cast some kind of blasting spell at them followed by a smothering cloud. Winky dispelled the cloud and cast another spell while Ukyo moved to attack with her swords. The imp was quickly put down and Stoney returned to Winky.

"You ok, Winky?", Ukyo asked as she began to loot the fallen imp.

"Winky, er, I'm fine. Just a few scratches.", Winky replied. "Nothing that even needs bandage. How about you?"

"About the same as you.", Ukyo stated. "Well what do we have here?" She held up a few pieces of jewelry and a bit of coin. "Something to add to our equipment or treasury. It's sure that ol' Twiggle won't need it. Well, let's gather up the rest of these crates."

**[The rest of the Team]**

The battle for the beach was going well with the aid of the potion Nabiki had applied to the marked locations. The resulting whirlwinds at least disoriented the Orcs if they weren't killed outright. It was a bit of a problem looting the dead Orcs but with some of the team providing cover it was manageable.

Suddenly Harry 'heard' a cry. "_Help!_" He whirled around looking for the problem and spotted Luna on the other side of the beach surrounded by a dozen or more Ry'Gorr invaders. "LUNA!", he yelled and sped across the beach, casting as he went. Shampoo saw the situation and followed behind him. His Storm of Lighting burst among the attackers, knocking them back a bit before he and Shampoo plowed into them, swords flashing. Nabiki joined the fight, loosing arrows into the enemy as fast as she could. Seeing the battle turn in favor of the team, the rest continued with the slaughter and looting.

After some hours, the invading Orcs were reduced to a mere trickle which the coldain archers could easily handle. The team went to report into the various officers.

**[Harry]**

"Reporting back, Commander Veliumdelver!", Harry said.

"Ah, you've succeeded. Perhaps ye're not all that useless after all, adventurer. These will do nicely. I'll have one of my men take a look at these, fix them up, and have them distributed among the forces.", Thirin told Harry.

"I'm glad we could be of some use.", Harry said with a slight smirk.

"Watching those Orcs realize we are using their equipment in our defenses will be entertaining. For that I thank ye adventurer. With my troops now reinforced I can turn my eyes to the larger threat. The Ry'Gorr, as they call themselves, have been attacking from the Jagged Daggers Isle, across the waves to the south. I fear their re-enforcements will arrive swiftly and with renewed purpose.", Thirin noted.

"Surely you can hold them here, now that you are better equipped.", Harry queried.

"I think not. What we've seen thus far is only a small part of their forces. They underestimated us, but now they know to send more Orcs if they are to take the beach. No, in this situation there is only one thing we can do. Take the fight to them. Come, we leave at once for the Jagged Daggers Isle. I'm tired of sitting about in waiting. I was never one for defense.", Thirin ordered.

"Thirin, your troops need you here. Morale is often frail, supported by a strong foundation. You are that foundation.", Harry countered.

"Hmm, well said, adventurer. Very well, I shall send you in my stead, as you've proven you can be somewhat dependable. Travel to the Jagged Daggers Isle, across the waves to the south and show them we are not to be underestimated. Destroy what forces and equipment you can and keep an eye out for their war shamans. They have the ability to scry our encampment. If you happen to destroy them, it will help conceal our positioning.", Thirin instructed.

"We need to prepare a bit but we will leave before dawn for the isle. I won't let them take the beach.", Harry assured him.

"Good. Brell be with you on your quest, adventurer.", Thirin said. (5)

"And you, Thirin.", Harry replied.

**[Later, Tent Living Room]**

As soon as everybody on the team was back and they had been checked over by Kasumi and Luna, Harry called them together in the Living Room.

"Everybody did a great job today except for me letting Luna get surrounded like that. I still don't see how I heard her on the other side of the beach, but I'm very glad Shampoo and I got to her in time.", Harry said.

"_You did not 'hear' me, Harry._", Luna said without moving her lips.

"Huh! Of course, I did! That's how I knew you were in trouble.", Harry said with a puzzled expression. Ranma and his part of the team looked a bit puzzled as well.

"What Luna means is that our bond is now strong enough that we can speak mind to mind, since I 'heard' her just now.", Hermione explained. "Daphne and Winky, did you hear as well?" Both nodded. "Can any of Ranma's team hear each other without speaking out loud?"

"_Ranma, can you hear me?_", Kasumi asked silently.

"Kasumi?", Ranma said surprised.

"Oh, my! I guess that means he can 'hear' me.", Kasumi said out loud.

"_Nabiki? Ukyo?, Shampoo? Can you hear me?_", Ranma asked.

"_Yes, Ranma._" "_Sure thing, Sugar!_" "_I hear husband just fine._"

"We all seem to be linked as well.", Ranma replied to Hermione.

Harry, after mentally checking with each of his ladies, said, "This could be very useful. Too bad we can't talk between the teams."

"Just make sure that when we split up for things, each sub-team can talk to someone on another sub-team.", Ranma suggested.

"Good idea!", Harry agreed. "Now tomorrow, just before dawn, we are going to attack the Orc stronghold on Jagged Daggers Isle that we saw across from the beach to the south. We need to destroy weapons, food, tents, and as many Orcs as we can. We go in invisible to take them by surprise."

"Do we get a boat this time?", Ranma wanted to know.

"Sheesh, just because I forgot before. Yeah, we'll have a boat and we will even ward it against splashes. Ok?", Harry grinned. "Now this is what I think we...".

**[Next morning, well before dawn, approaching Jagged Daggers Isle]**

"Move quietly as we get out of the boat.", Harry instructed. "The silence charm only covers the boat itself. I'll drop the disillusionment charm when we launch our attack so we won't accidentally hit each other. Also, it looks like a fresh snowfall from here so our footsteps will show up, so try to step where the wind has blown it clear or the enemy has trod it down."

Harry beached the boat on an ice shelf that extended out into the water. The team carefully climbed ashore and moved a little inland. They spotted a few Orcs to the east along the shore but the main encampment seemed to be to the southwest. Between the team and the encampment, there were a number of enemy loitering around. There also seemed to be some Orcs assigned to patrol duties.

"Hit the closest group on three.", Harry commanded. "One...two...THREE!"

The group launched their ranged attacks and AE spells as Harry dropped the disillusionment. Orcs began running toward the fight. Hermione used her AE Mesmerize to stun groups of them so the fight remained manageable. Shampoo, Ukyo, and Ranma moved forward to block the enemy troops from getting closed to the spellcasters. Nabiki targeted enemy shamans to prevent them from healing their troops. Kasumi and Luna kept an eye on the team's health while casting wards and buffs on them. The two healers also launched offensive spells and debuffs at the Orcs. Daphne assisted Hermione with crowd control while directing the Orc she had charmed to aid the team fighters.

After dispatching the twenty or so Orcs that had joined the fight, the team moved into the camp and began to destroy tents, cached weapons, and stockpiled food. The Orcs they encountered were not pleased about this but were quickly killed. That is until they encountered a rather large Orc near the back of the camp. They had found the camp's commander.

"Everybody, keep on with the plan!", Ranma shouted. "I got this one!"

"So puny human, you think you can defeat Grokk, Rear Commander of the Ry'Gorr clan?!", Grokk snarled as he swung a large greatsword, which Ranma jumped over.

"Ya, you don't look a that tough. 'Sides, your slower than an old woman!", Ranma said as he flipped over Grokk, kicking him in the back of the neck. He quickly followed through with a strike to the kidney. Grokk spun around in an attempt to slice Ranma in half which he avoided by going almost flat to the ground.

"_Ranma, be careful! Don't get too cocky!_", Kasumi thought to him.

"_I won't, Kasumi. Just getting him riled up so he'll make mistakes!_", Ranma returned as he kicked the large Orc in the side of the knee. Grokk turned even greener with the blow and tried to bash Ranma with the hilt of his sword. Ranma did a back flip, unfortunately landing in a puddle of melt water and changing into Ranko. "_Oh great!_"

"What magic is this!?", roared Grokk. "Where did puny male go!?"

"You are so pathetic I changed to a girl to make it more interesting!", Ranko taunted, using her Chestnuts Roasting technique to deliver a few hundred blows to Grokk's midsection. Grokk staggered but roared and attempted to cleave Ranko from top to bottom. She dodged between his legs and hit him with the Lightning Palm followed quickly by the Charging Tiger strike, which knocked him down. As he struggled to get up, she hit him with a Striking Cobra followed by a Rising Dragon flying kick.

Grokk staggered to his feet and bellowed, "I will destroy you, puny human! I will gnaw your bones for my supper tonight!". He swung his sword in a slashing backhand which Ranko jumped on, using it as a platform to deliver a Rising Phoenix kick to his head. Grokk wobbled unsteadily.

"_Ranko, if you are done with your playmate, the rest of us are finished!_", Nabiki commented.

"_Ok, just be a sec!_", Ranko replied. She hit her opponent with a Frozen Palm strike followed by a Roundhouse Kick to the neck. Grokk slumped to the ground with a broken neck, dead.

"You just couldn't stay dry, could you?", Daphne laughed as she conjured some hot water and cast a drying spell.

"Hey, that puddle was almost invisible!", Ranma protested. "Did we find anything interesting?"

"Just some assorted equipment and jewelry we can use along with some coin. Also a few technique scrolls and one recipe book.", Hermione informed him.

"I found what appears to be a scrying eye.", Luna said. "One of the shamans had it."

Harry looked around at the destroyed camp and said, "Well, we have this wrapped up so let's head back and report in."

**[Cragged Spine Defender's Camp]**

**[Harry]**

"Greetings, Commander Veliumdelver.", Harry said.

"You return. What news? Were yer skirmishes with the enemy successful?", Thirin demanded.

"Yes, very! Also, we found this scrying eye on of one of the war shamans. Our shaman thought it might be useful.", Harry replied.

"A scrying eye you say. So that's what they use to spy on our forces. I can't believe you were able to get one. Let me have a look. If we're lucky it will have already been imbued with their scrying magics.", Thirin said eagerly.

"There you are, I hope it will be useful.", Harry said handing it over.

"Hmm. We are in luck adventurer. This has already been imbued with the magics that allow the Ry'Gorr to spy on us. Meaning we can use it against them and maybe learn something new to aid us. All ye need do is find a Ry'Gorr to use the eye on and you'll be able to see what he sees. That's how it works, you see? It allows you to see through the eyes of another, just by pressing the eye against the skin.", Thirin explained.

"It's good we are in possession of this then. I am sure my team can find a Ry'Gorr to use this on.", Harry observed.

"Your value grows, adventurer. You won't be able to use this on Jagged Daggers Isle since you destroyed their camp, but I have heard reports say there are a few Ry'gorr on the iceberg to the east of the Jagged Daggers Isle. See what you find there, perhaps an opportunity to use the eye will present itself." Thirin said. "Meanwhile, I'll send some o' my men to occupy Jagged Daggers to prevent the Ry'gorr from reinfesting it."

"I'll let you know what we learn.", Harry assured him.

**[Winky]**

"Winky greets you, Knut Orcbane."

"Griz says you smell of Orc and sea water. Where have you been, Winky?" Knut asked.

"Thirin Veliumdelver had us hunting Orcs on Jagged Daggers Isle.", Winky told him.

"Ah! They have started to inhabit that island now, too?" Knut inquired.

"Not any more. They still are doing something on the chunk of ice next to it, though.", Winky replied.

"You know this for certain?" Knut wanted to know.

"Thirin's scouts said as much.", Winky informed him.

"Whoa, no need to yell!", Knut exclaimed.

"I didn't.", Winky said puzzled.

"Not you, Winky, Griz. I nearly went deaf with that one. And how would you like it if I did? Then who would listen to you?", Knut said. "Winky, we need to find out what scheme they are hatching over there on the iceberg. Think your team can get there?"

"We can.", Winky assured him.

"I knew my confidence was not misplaced in you! Go over to the iceberg and see what you can find out. Kill any Ry'Gorr you encounter, but more importantly, see what items you can find that may tell us what they are up to.", Knut instructed her.

"I'll let Harry Potter know!", Winky promised him.

**[Later, on the Small Iceberg with the entire team]**

When the team climbed on to the chunk of ice, there were only about a dozen Orcs to be found although, based on the mining pick scattered around, there had been more. The alert ones were quickly put down. However, there was one that was drunk or very tired that didn't budge, even with the sounds of fighting close to him.

"Looks like we found our guinea pig.", Harry said. "Luna, why don't you and Shampoo hold the eye and touch him with it? That way maybe we can all see what you see."

'It is worth trying.", Luna said.

Luna and Shampoo carefully grasp the eye and touched it to the sleeping Orc's forehead. Suddenly, it was like the whole team had entered a pensive. From the hands, they could tell they were looking through the eyes of an Orc who was swimming toward the main island. He then dove under water, going down down, down until he entered a water filled cave. He followed the passage upwards until his head broke free of the water and he climbed out onto a small beach. At that point, the vision faded and the team returned to themselves.

"Ok, that was interesting.", Nabiki said drolly.

**[Cragged Spine Defender's Camp]**

"We have news, Commander Veliumdelver!", Harry said as the team approached the coldain.

"You've survived? I had heard reports that some adventurers fell to the Ry'Gorr not long ago. I'm glad to see you survived. Were you successful in using the eye?", Thirin asked.

"We were. We saw through an the eyes of an Orc who swam beneath the waves. He entered an underwater tunnel leading to the center of Erollis. Beyond that I do not know. It seems the spell is restricted by distance.", Harry informed him.

"They are below us? This is quite unexpected. What are they doing down there? What are they planning?" Thirin fired the questions off in rapid succession.

"I haven't a clue, but we intend to find out.", Harry said. "We will be back as soon as we can!"

"Brell protect ye, now. You're going to need it!", Thirin said with a grim tone.

"We will be safe, Thirin Veliumdelver.", Luna assured him.

**[Tent Living Room]**

Having decide not to do a deep water dive in the dark and it being a long day, the team returned to their tent to relax and rest up for the morning's mission. Kasumi had found a supply of seeds in the storage area so she, Winky, Hermione, and Daphne decided to activate the greenhouse to try and grow some food stuffs and potion ingredients, including local plants if they could get them to grow. Nabiki, Shampoo, and Ukyo were going over their weapons looking for nicks or other damage and doing what they could to fix them up. Harry, Ranma, and Luna were going over some of scrolls they had recovered to see if the team could use any of them.

Luna suddenly sat up straight. "I can have a pet! A nice spirit wolf doggy!" She cast Summon Spirit Wolf and a large, ghostly wolf appeared. "I am going to name her Snowball! Hmm, she is a little big for the tent so...Ah ha! There you go, Snowball!" She cast a shrink pet charm and Snowball shrank to the size of a border collie.

"Are you sure Snowball is a she?", Harry asked with a smile.

"Yes, Harry! Although if you do not know the difference between girls and boys by now, there is no hope for you!", Luna smirked as she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the lips.

"Well, I hope Snowball is housebroken!", Ranma said with a smile.

"Somehow, I do not think spirit poo poo will be a problem.", Luna giggled.

"Her regular size looks big enough to ride.", Harry observed. "Are you going to try to ride her?"

"No silly, you do not ride spirits.", Luna giggled again. "Besides, we will soon have horses!"

"We will?", Ranma asked. "How do you know?"

"Trust me, it will be very soon.", Luna with a smile. Ranma looked at Harry.

Harry shrugged and said, "Luna just knows things." They all went back to their research while Snowball curled up at Luna's feet.

**[Next morning, Cragged Spires shore]**

The team was gathered ready to go into the water as soon as Kasumi and Luna cast their spells to allow them to breathe underwater.

Ranma grumbled, "We would have to go swimming in ice cold water. Somehow the warming charms don't make a difference to the curse."

Shampoo laughed, "It could be worse, husband. You could turn into a cat-girl and cats hate getting wet."

The team had briefly tried to come up with a for Shampoo's cat-girl form but her reaction when somebody suggested 'Kitty Pu' was not good so the team wisely let it drop.

After Kasumi and Luna finished casting, the team entered the water. Ranko and Shampoo lead the way as they looked for landmarks they had seen in the vision the day before. Before too long, they saw the underwater passage and swam down to it. Just as they entered it, a few Orcs were swimming out and had to be dealt with. Proceeding up the tunnel, they soon came to the small beach they had seen in the vision.

"Nabiki and Ukyo,", Harry began. "You two take a stealthy look around and see what you can find out. Everybody else stay out of sight but be ready in case the scouts need help."

"Yeah, right. That will be the day.", Nabiki said as she and Ukyo faded into the shadows.

About twenty minutes later, the girls had returned. "There is lots of digging going on but it does not look like mining. More like expanding the tunnels", Nabiki reported to the group.

"Yeah.", Ukyo agreed. "But there is this one place there has been a cave in that looks like it was done deliberately."

"We better get this information to Thirin and the others. Let's head back up.", Harry directed.

**[Cragged Spires Defenders Camp]**

**[Harry]**

"What have ye found? What are they doing below my lands?", Thirin said anxiously.

"They have dug a series of mining tunnels throughout the interior of Erollis, many in the direction of New Halas. We think they mean to attack from below.", Harry informed him.

"Confound it! This is what I was afraid of. There may not be enough time to warn the city before they attack, we're going to have to go down there and stop the Ry'Gorr ourselves.", Thirin declared.

"Before we travel below, know Ukyo have found some sort of cave-in. It looks to have been recently caused by the Orcs, though I know not for what purpose. It's very strange.", Harry told Thirin.

"A cave-in you say? I'll take a look once I've reached the inside. This time I go; my men will be able to handle things here, thanks to ye. Meet me at the cave's entrance, adventurer. I'll have inspected this cave-in ye speak of by then.", Thirin said.

"See you below then.", Harry said as he turned to gather the group.

**[Winky]**

"Winky greets Knut Orcbane, sir!"

"Speak to us, Winky. Is it true that you found the Orcs below this island?", Knut wanted to know.

"Yes. They is attempting to dig out some tunnels below the city of New Halas.", Winky told him.

"Mithaniel's fury! I hope you cut them down!", Knut growled.

"We dids some but there be more. We is going back to finish with Thirin sir.", Winky let him know.

"Winky, Griz could sense an old magic approaching, and was quite alarmed, but it was just you. What have you been doing?"

"I has just been in the tunnels the Orc mens are digging.", Winky said.

"Yes, Griz. There must be old magic that lingers on you now.", Knut said.

"Should I be worried?", Winky asked.

"No. It will dissipate in time.", Knut replied with a placation gesture.

"That's good.", Winky sighed in relief.

"But maybe we could use that magic in our ongoing fight with the Ry'Gorr. Griz that is a sound idea!", Knut exclaimed.

"How are we going to get it?", Winky inquired.

Knut Orcbane says to you, "Take Griz with you and he will lead you to the source of the old magic.", Knut said removing his bear skin head gear and handing it to Winky.

"I'll sees what I can do, Knut Orcbane sir.", Winky promised.

**[Near the water's edge, Orc Tunnels]**

"Greetings, Commander", Harry said as they approached Thirin.

"This is most impressive. I never knew the Ry'Gorr could be so devious.", Thirin said in awe.

"Agreed. We must act quickly.", Harry said.

"Aye. I saw this wall ye spoke of. Whoever caused this cave-in did not do so thoughtfully. Meaning it was done with haste. It seems as though it was meant to keep something trapped. What could scare the Ry'Gorr so much they would risk such a dangerous explosion?", Thirin wondered.

"I would agree. This wall is an unnecessary risk, even for them.", Harry stated.

"Whatever they are hiding or keeping imprisoned may be used to give us an advantage. Whatever they fear would surely give us an upper hand in stopping their impending invasion.", Thirin said considering the situation.

"You intend to re-open the tunnel entrance then?", Ranko asked.

"I do, though we have no mining equipment on hand. However, these Orcs could not have made so much progress in so a little a time without some help. I imagine there are some explosive barrels about, if ye just follow yer nose. Look around where they are currently mining, they should leave them lying around. Once you've got the explosives use it on the cave-in. Find out what the Ry'Gorr were trying to imprison.", Thirin directed.

"Sounds like a blast. We're in.", Harry agreed.

"I'll be expecting a good show, adventurer. Don't let me down.", Thirin said with a smile.

"We won't, Commander.", Harry replied.

"Wait a minute, Harry.", Ranko called. "We don't need explosives. Shampoo's tribe has a technique that can blast solid rock. She could probably get the job done long before we could find the explosives."

"This method would do the job?", Harry wanted to know.

"Yeah, I'll seen her blast through solid stone walls way too many times.", Ranko replied. "She might need some shielding from rock fragments but probably not. The technique makes her pretty tough."

"Let's err on the side of caution.", Harry decided. "Shampoo, you can do what Ranko says?" At her nod, he continued, "Daphne, go with her to shield her and banish the broken stone. Kasumi, you go with them as well just in case."

"Winky, Knut had a job for you?", Harry asked and she nodded. "Ok, take Ukyo and Luna with you. Stay safe. Take some of the green ice that Hillfred gave Nabiki and put in any fires you pass. The rest of us will take out Orcs so that without outside reinforcements, they won't be able to attack. Ranko, you take Hermione and go right. I'll take Nabiki and go left."

**[Shampoo, Daphne, and Kasumi]**

After talking to Shampoo, Daphne cast a shield in front of her that left a hole for her to strike through. After considering the cave-in for a moment, Shampoo jabbed a point with her finger and the rock exploded! Lots of small rock fragments bounced off Daphne's shield but none came near any of the girls. Daphne used her wand to vanish the broken rock and clear the revealed tunnel mouth. The girls then moved a short way down the passage.

Suddenly the were set upon by a velinoid elemental. Shampoo parried the attack and slashed at it with her swords. Daphne sent her pet of the moment, an Orc, to attack it and began blasting it with her spells. Kasumi added her offensive spells the the mix and the elemental was soon destroyed.

After healing some minor injuries that Shampoo had, Kasumi said, "I think we should return to the Commander and let him know what we have found." The other girls just nodded.

"Hello, Commander Veliumdelver", Shampoo said.

"That was a magnificent display of destruction on your part, adventurer. Did ye find anything? What are those scoundrels hiding?", Thirin asked eagerly.

"You were right, they were keeping something imprisoned beyond the cave-in, though I fear what I've found will be of no use to us.", Shampoo informed him.

"What are ye talking about? What was there?", Thirin demanded.

"We found a race of beings that look as though they were birthed from the velium itself. There were Orcish bodies among them as well. We were able to escape, but I don't believe they will side with us. We are all in danger.", Shampoo replied.

"This means there were caverns here before the Orcs? They themselves must have discovered them. I know not what these creatures are, but if what ye say is true they may be more of a threat than those blasted Ry'Gorr. Is there any chance we can quickly re-build the wall, as the Orcs did? Can we protect ourselves from these, what should they be called? Velinoids?", Thirin wanted to know.

"I cannot tell, but the blast has severely damaged the surrounding walls. I could transform some stone into a wall but it would eventually fail as transformations do not last. I do not believe that a third blast will do any good in one area underground.", Daphne informed him.

"Blast! I fear we've made a grave mistake, adventurers, one we must rectify immediately.", Thirin scowled. "It is time we informed my good friend, Torli Blackbow. However, I intend to return with as much intelligence as possible. I would like you three to investigate the area."

"You can count on us, Commander.", Kasumi said.

"I am learning that with each passing hour. Be safe, my friends.", Thirin said.

"We will, Commander.", Kasumi assured him. "_Ranko, we are going deeper into the caves to investigate. Nabiki, let Harry know._"

"_You need any help, Kasumi?_", Ranko thought back.

"_I don't believe so, Ranko._", Kasumi replied. "_We will 'shout' if we need any._"

The trio began to explore the newly reopened caves. They discovered two large rooms that contained several kinds of the velinoid elementals, all of which were very aggressive. After battling their way to the very back of the caverns, they encountered a very large, very angry looking elemental. They quickly retreated before being noticed and returned to Thirin.

"We have returned, Commander!", Kasumi said in greeting.

"What did you discover? Are there more dangers here?", Thirin wanted to know.

"We have discovered a large ice and velium elemental. A monstrous creature.", Shampoo told him.

"Monstrous? I see. Tell me of this creature you speak of.", Thirin said urgently.

"We know very little, other than it appears to be very old and quite angry. We don't believe it enjoys visitors.", Daphne informed him.

"This is most troubling, my friends. We are not prepared for this. I was rash and quick to judge the situation. I regret venturing into these blasted caverns. What have we awakened? We must speak with Torli, she will know what to do. Adventurers, what are yer names? You've done so much and I never had the time to ask.", Thirin wanted to know.

"Our leaders are Harry, the messy haired one, and Ranma, the one that changes into a girl.", Kasumi told him. She then named the rest of the group.

"Those are good names. My friends, I ask one more favor. I need you to deliver the news of this creature to Torli Blackbow. I need to be with my men or I would go myself. You can find her East of the Cragged Spine, in the White Lodge. She is an old friend and will know how to handle this creature.", Thirin said.

"We will do this for you.". Shampoo said.

"Thank you, my friends. Brell be with you, always.", Thirin said as he left for the surface.

"You too, Thirin. You too.", Kasumi said.

"_Ranko, who is our fastest person._", Kasumi asked.

"_That would be Nabiki or Ukyo. Why?_", Ranko wanted to know.

"_We need a runner to the White Lodge east of here to take a message for the Commander."_, Kasumi told him and explained why.

"_We can free up Nabiki as Ukyo is still with Winky and Luna. Nabiki, let Harry know what's going on and then get with Kasumi._", Ranko directed.

"_On my way!_", Nabiki replied.

**[Winky, Ukyo, and Luna]**

"I guess I needs to put animal spirit on my head.", Winky stated and did so.

"No smell prey near by.", Winky said in a gravelly voice.

"That is weird!", Ukyo exclaimed. "Your talking but it doesn't sound like you."

"We'll keep looking.", Winky said in her own voice.

"Prey is within striking distance!", Winky growled.

"Thank you, Griz.", Winky said.

"I smell our prey here. It spent much time bedded down at this location.", Winky said in her Griz voice.

"But it not in the sack any more.", Winky said, puzzled.

"It has moved on. But we are on its trail.", Winky said with a rumble.

After a brief fight with a few Orcs, Windy asked, "Where to next, Griz?"

"Deeper.", Winky growled.

"How insightful.", Winky said sarcastically.

"Smell of prey near by!", Winky growled again.

"I is relieved to hear that.", Winky said.

"Prey is close.", Winky rumbled.

"That's good to know!", Winky said with a sigh.

"This is it! Strike our prey!", Winky growled harshly.

"This black crystal shard?", Ukyo asked.

"Grrrrrrrrrrrr. I said strike! Claw it to bits! Tear it open, and spill its guts upon the ice!", Winky growled with menace.

"All right, we are doing it!", Luna said and smashed the shard with her club. The shard vibrated and fell into dust.

A sound behind them caused them to whirl around. A huge Orc rushed them yelling, "Puny invaders will feel wrath of Mastermind Mon'Tagorr. I will crush your bones!"

"I don't think he wants to invite us to tea!", Ukyo commented as she parried and slashed back. Stoney moved to attack the oversized Orc and Winky began blasting him. Luna cast Plague followed by Wrath and Velium Winds. Ukyo kicked his knee and stabbed him in the side. Winky summoned her water spirits and vampire bats to add to the fray. Soon, Mon'Tagorr lay dead on the floor.

"Well, that was fun.", Ukyo said with a smirk. "Have we done what we need to?"

"Destroying the crystal shard was part of out main mission, so yes.", Luna told them.

"Take Griz back to Knut.", Winky growled.

"I bet he is missing you.", Luna said to Griz.

"Well we got our confirmation, so let's rejoin the others.", Ukyo suggested.

**[Nabiki]**

"I'm looking for Torli Blackbow!", Nabiki announced as she entered the White Lodge.

A small woman toward the back said, "That would be me. Who have we here?"

"My name is Nabiki Tendo. I was sent by Thirin Veliumdelver.", Nabiki informed her.

"Veliumdelver? That stubborn stone's stationed at Cragged Spine. Why would he send ye to me?", Torli wanted to know.

"We found a large ice and velium elemental living below New Halas!", Nabiki said.

"Brell damn it! If the ongoing struggle with the brutal Ry'Gorr wasn't enough. I am glad ye told me. I just wish I knew what to do.", Torli said with a frown.

"Me too.", Nabiki agreed.

"Speak with Gerla Meltwater.", Torli said finally. "She is our wisest spellweaver. You'll find her in Glacierbane's Vault, in New Halas."

"Glacierbane's Vault?", Nabiki said asking for more information.

"It is our house of arcane knowledge and library to the Spear of the Spellweavers, our battle hardened mages. She'll know what to do.", Torli informed her.

"I'll speak with her.", Nabiki said as she rushed out the door.

Upon entering Glacierbane's Vault, Nabiki asked Gerla's location of the vendor near the door and was pointed to a woman in the back.

Nabiki approached the woman and asked, "Gerla Meltwater? I'm Nabiki Tendo."

"Hail, Nabiki. What boulder weighs so upon your shoulders?"

"Torli Blackbow thought you could help. There is a large ice and velium elemental living below New Halas!", Nabiki said urgently.

"Aye. And as long as it slumbers we have nothing to fear.", Gerla told her.

"That's just it. It's not!", Nabiki exclaimed.

"Beasts of the deep! It has awoken?! It slumbered for years under our feet. What could have woken it now?", Gerla asked in a worried tone.

"The Ry'Gorr were digging tunnels below the city.", Nabiki informed her.

"Another reason to smite each and every one of the vile creatures! Now to return the elemental back to its dormancy.", Gerla said with determination.

"Why is that so important?", Nabiki queried.

"Long before Mithaniel blessed this carved bit of Velious, we floated. Long and far, through moderate and warm waters we sailed. Yet frozen the bulk remained.", Gerla explained.

"That's amazing."

"I discovered the ancient elemental while probing the terrain with some spells. It was during one of our campaigns to remove the Ry'Gorr. Ever since then I have theorized that it may have been the cause of our eternal freeze.", Gerla continued.

"And now that it's awake?"

"We must induce slumber, once more! Take this satchel back to Torli Blackbow.", Gerla instructed Nabiki.

"Right away, Gerla."

"Torli, I'm back!"

"Ye return, Nabiki! Tell me, what did Spellweaver Meltwater advise?", Torli inquired.

"She sent me back with this satchel for you."

"Hmm. Once more it seems we must lean on your group.", Torli said with a sigh.

"What do you mean?"

"Gerla's satchel contained a potion and a note.", Torli told Nabiki. "It says we must induce slumber, once more! Cast this spell upon the elemental, but first ye must be sure to tire it out. Inflict upon it great harm thus making it susceptible to the potion's magic."

"We can do that!"

"I never doubted ye for a moment, Nabiki! Take this and go with Brell's blessings upon ye!", Torli stated.

"We will not fail.", Nabiki said as she headed back to Cragged Spires.

**[Cragged Spires]**

**[Winky]**

Knut Orcbane saw Winky approaching and called out to her. "Did you find the item of old magic, Winky? Was Griz able to help you find it?", he asked.

"Yes, we did. And we destroyed it.", Winky told him.

"What? I thought he wanted to find it and use it?", asked Knut, shocked.

"He told me to destroy it. It was a black crystal shard, like the ones that was being used to raise Ry'Gorr skeletons.", Winky informed him.

"Ah, then it is best to destroy it. They must have wanted to plant it below New Halas in order to bring forth an army of undead within the city.", Knut concluded.

"Good thing we found it.", Winky said.

"Now, take these horses for your group, as you have earned it, Winky. And return to me my friend, Griz.", Knut eagerly.

"Certainly. Uh, horses?"

"Oh, you've not owned a horse before? Just blow on the whistle and the horse is called from stasis.", Knut explained. "When you dismiss your horse, it goes back to into stasis. There is a special part of your adventurer's belt to store the whistles."

**[Tent Living Room]**

The group had returned to the tent to await Nabiki's return. When she arrived, she filled in the details that they had not already picked up on through their link. When she finished, Harry and Ranma decided that the whole group, minus Nabiki as she needed to rest, would return to the caves to put the elemental to sleep. With that as the plan and without a great deal of difficulty, they did just that.

**[New Halas]**

Two days later, the group, mounted on their new horses, rode into New Halas.

**TBC**

Author Notes:

(1) Ranma has often used Ranko as his name when in his girl form, especially when hiding his curse from his mother. It will be used in this story whenever Ranma is in his girl form.

(2) Harry has become the group leader with Ranma/Ranko as his lieutenant. They still look to the girls for opinions, advice, and ideas but in battle there can be only one leader.

(3) Speech in languages other than Common that the team understands will be underlined. I haven't decided if I will show speech they don't understand yet. At this point, they only understand Orcish and Common. Telepathy will be in _italics_.

(4) In the Everquest II game armor and weapons are only damaged if you die. In the real world, equipment is damaged in battle whether or not you are injured. I chose to go with the real world approach in this story, even if it never comes up again. Also, I'm not allowing them to use their wands to repair their equipment because it might damage the enhancements placed on it.

(5) Brell is the god worshiped by most dwarves. He is a neutral god, as opposed to good or evil. Although the dwarves are a good race, some of the races that worship him are decidedly not.

(6) This is the last chapter that I will rely heavily on dialog directly from the game.


	5. Waiting in New Halas

**Disclaimer: **See first chapter.

**AN:**

Locations, some characters, and some situations in this chapter is drawn from the Everquest II game. The dialog is not from the game, however. There is a bit of a lime scene in this chapter but nothing too explicit. If anyone feels the rating should be bumped up, please let me know.

**Beta:**

Me, Myself, and I still. There are bound to be mistakes, especially dropped final letters and suffixes. If you spot plot holes or other mistakes, feel free to let me know.

**[New Halas, Erollis Isle]**

New Halas was a small city, a village really, nestled in what appeared to be a crater on the eastern side of Erollis Isle and was dominated by the Cairn of the Huntress, the shrine to Erollisi Marr. The people were mostly barbarians and dwarves but with a surprising number of frogloks and a smattering of other races. The people seemed friendly and were busily going about the tasks of surviving in this harsh environment. The group turned their mount toward the shrine.

As the group approached the shrine, they noticed it was surrounded by a shallow moat with no bridge. A large statue of a beautiful woman filled the interior of the building, which was open to the elements, front and back. The horses waded through the water of the moat and managed to NOT splash Ranma and Shampoo. The group approached a young woman in the garb of a priestess.

"Hello.", Harry greeted the woman. "I'm Harry. My friends and I were directed to seek out this shrine by a paladin of Mithaniel Marr. We are to receive some information about a task we need to do."

"Blessings of Erollisi to you, Harry.", the woman replied. "I'm Sister Aslarya. Although it is my duty to provide information to travelers about our order, I have no information for you. You will need to speak to Priest Aaronolis Swornlove. He is just over there." She pointed to the man.

"Thank you, Sister Aslarya.", Harry said politely. "We will speak with him." The group dismounted and walked over to the indicated man, leading their horses.

"Priest Swornlove? Do you have a moment?", Harry inquired of the man.

"Yes, my friends.", Priest Swornlove said. "Blessings of Erollisi to you. How can I be of service?"

"I'm Harry Potter, this is Ranma Saotome." Harry introduced each of the girls. "A paladin of Mithaniel Marr by the name of Jessolt Lightwalker said we should seek information on our mission here.", Harry told the priest.

"Ah, Jessolt. A fine fellow if a bit uptight. But all paladins seem to be.", Priest Swornlove chuckled. "I do have the information for you or rather, I will. I am waiting on my sources to get back to me which should happen in the next week or so. Your group does look like it could use some rest and relaxation anyway. Plus you need to let your soul bonds grow some before setting out again. New Halas provides housing in Raven's Roost for a nominal maintenance fee. Just go up the second tunnel north of where you entered New Halas and check with Warden Bretta, the innkeeper for the Valor Homesteads. Check back with me in a couple of weeks."

"We will do that.", Harry agreed. "Thank you for your time."

"No, thank you for what you are doing for our world and yours!", Priest Swornlove. "It was nice to meet such a fine group of young people."

**[Raven's Roost, New Halas, Erollis Isle]**

The passage was where Priest Swornlove had indicated and they followed it into the cavern that housed Raven's Roost. There were a number of buildings inside the cavern, although not seemingly enough to house the city's population. There was an 'open air' tavern near the back of the cavern to the east that seemed to be doing a good business. Along the south wall, there were what appeared to be crafting workstations with a number of vendors among them. Roughly in the center of the area, there was a bank and a vendor. After looking around a bit, a city guard helped them locate Warden Bretta.

The group approached the barbarian woman and introduced themselves.

"We understand that you have a place that we could stay.", Harry said. "Although if space is a problem, we can stay in our tent in an out of the way corner."

"No space is not a problem.", Bretta smiled. "You must the people from another world that Swornlove mentioned were coming. You see, long ago, after the Great Cataclysm where much of the surface of Norrath was destroyed, the mages devised a way to overlay many dwellings in the same space. Something about giving them slightly different frequencies or something like that. For that reason, New Halas is able to offer basic housing for free with just a low weekly maintenance fee. Larger houses are available to purchase with a larger maintenance fee. You just touch the door and the magic will ask you if you want to buy it if you don't own a house at that location. If you do own a house there, then you will be asked if you want to enter. Now, unlike most people I assume you will want to share in order to stay together?"

"Yes, ma'am", Harry replied. "That would be best for now."

"Ok, let me apply an identity marker to have the houses treat your group as though you all were one person.", Bretta requested. "Ok, it's done now. Before you select your house, let me point out the banker, Catherine Bowne, and the broker, Vald Jemgard, just across the way. Vald sells things for people on consignment so his service is a good way to get rid of stuff you don't want or buy hard to find stuff you need. Crafters hang out down by the south wall so if you want to make anything, that is where you go."

"Excuse me, ma'am.", Kasumi said. "I was told to look up a Glin Hammerhelm to learn about crafting. Is he located there?"

"Yes, dear. He's a dwarf that usually hangs out at the east end of the counters.", Bretta told her. "Anything else? If not, have a pleasant stay in New Halas."

Harry led the way to the entrance of the Valor Homesteads and touched the door. After 'purchasing' the room for zero coin, he placed his hand on the door and elected to enter the 'house'. The remainder of the group quickly followed. They arrived in a short entryway which opened out into a large squarish room. The side of the room to the right of the entrance, had a raised area and a bay window pushed out from the square of the room. The window appeared to overlook the Frostfang Sea. The wall across from the entrance way had a stairway going up to a loft room that was above the wall on the left. Under the stairs was what looked to be a storage area. Climbing the stairs, they discovered that the loft had a fireplace in the corner opposite the stairway and bookshelves along the wall to right of the stairs. The wall on the side of the room with the stairs was a half wall that overlooked the room below.

"Kinda bare. Nice space though.", Ranma commented. "We going to bunk in here or set the tent up somewhere outside?"

"We can set the tent up in here.", Daphne informed them. "It will adapt the outside but the inside will still be as we know it."

"Ok, upstairs or down?", Harry asked. After some discussion, it was decided to put it in the corner under the loft closest to the entrance. After Harry positioned it and activated it, it set itself up as usual except that it looked like a ten by ten room with walls that matched the materials of the larger room.

**[Tent Living Room]**

"Now what?", Ukyo asked the group.

"Since we are going to be here a few weeks, we might as well take a little time to relax and enjoy ourselves.", Harry said. "However, that said, we still need to train, especially in group tactics. So far, we have been able to mostly overpower our foes but I don't expect that to last. We also need to get and stay physically fit. Ranma, if you could teach us martial arts, it would help us shape up and help when we lose a weapon or don't have time to cast a spell."

"That's a good idea!", Ranma answered. "You should never be helpless just because your weapon is knocked out of your hand or your opponent is too close to zap 'em."

"Ok,", Harry continued. "Let's take the rest of the day to look around New Halas and see what there is here. The town seems to be safe but stay sharp anyway. Tonight, we'll work out a schedule that allow us some free time and still moves our training forward. See everybody back here for dinner!" With that the group headed out to explore the town.

**[Dinner, Tent Kitchen/Dinning Room]**

"Did everybody enjoy exploring?" Harry asked. Receiving affirmatives, he continued, "So what did we discover? Kasumi, you seem excited. Why don't you fill us in on your day?"

"Winky and I went together.", Kasumi began. "We first wandered around the main part of the town and talked to a few merchants. Most of the people are very nice. We noticed a few training and guild halls but we didn't visit them. We then returned to Ravens' Roost where we spent most of our time with the crafting trainer, Mr. Hammerhelm. It turns out the local crafting guild, the Ravens of the North, offer training at no cost! Well, except for materials and recipe manuals. Winky and I have already trained to be basic crafters. She loves to cook so she is now a Provisioner which will allow her to create meals we can eat on the go that will boost our abilities. I'm going to be an Alchemist so I can create healing and treatment potions as well as poisons for Nabiki and Ukyo. There are nine different crafting trades and I think we should each pick one to complement our adventuring profession and to support each other. I wrote my suggestions down." She handed a list to Harry who looked at it, nodded, and passed it to Ranma. (1)

"Hmm, I wonder if you can make our kind of potions as well.", Harry mused. "Maybe you could get with Daphne or Hermione to find out. I think training in crafting is a great idea. It will provide us with some to do like a hobby would and make sure we have decent equipment. We may even be able to make some money at it. Anyway, Hermione, how was your afternoon?"

"Luna and I went together into the main part of New Halas where we saw the same things Kasumi described.", Hermione replied. "We found that the guild halls sell training scrolls to teach new or improved skills and spells. We also found a combined library and bookstore which kind of took up the rest of our afternoon." Harry smirked and Hermione stuck out her tongue. "I found a lot of language training manuals of which I bought copies for each of us. Just read it to learn the language. It will disappear afterward due to that copyright spell but it works. I found that if you know the language already, you will not be able to open it. Luna also bought a bunch of books but hers were bestiaries. They don't vanish when you read them so she put them in the library. The book merchant did suggest that we check the bookshops in Qeynos as they may have larger selections."

"Qeynos?", Ranma asked.

"It is the capitol of the 'good' empire and the largest city we will likely be able to visit. Freeport is about the same size but we would not be welcome there. It is the capitol of the 'evil' empire.", Hermione answered. "Not that there is not evil to be found in Qeynos or good to be found in Freeport. We also obtained maps of Norrath and all of its major areas. They are charmed to always show our current location, even if we are separated. That's all I have for now."

"Nabiki, I noticed you and Daphne were wandering around together. What did you discover?", Harry inquired.

"Since Daphne and I are keepers of the groups finances, we decided to check out the broker we were told about. It turns out selling some of the stuff through him will net a much larger return than if we just sold it to a regular vendor. We left the stuff we don't need that is not just junk with him. The junk we unloaded to a merchant outside the town's warehouse. Some of that only netted a few coppers but, hey, every copper helps. We checked out a couple of places to eat and decided the best place is probably in Ravens' Roost, except for our kitchen, of course. Everything else we saw someone else has already mentioned.", Nabiki reported.

"Ukyo, how about you?"

"Shampoo and I spent most of our time watching the training in the guild halls. They did let us participate if we wanted. The training is pretty good so it would be worthwhile. Everything else we looked at, somebody else has already talked about.", Ukyo informed them.

"The training you mentioned ties into what Ranma and I did.", Harry said. "Ranma, you want to fill them in on what we did?"

"Sure!", Ranma replied. "After a quick look around, we came back here and discussed training and a schedule. Here is what we came up with."

"0630 to 0800 is Martial Arts training except on weekends."(2)

"0800 to 0930 we do our morning personal stuff, do chores, and have breakfast,"

"0930 to 1200 we do personal training. This can be learning crafts, working with a guild, studying, or working in our training room."

"1200 to 1300 we do chores and have lunch."

"1300 to 1500 we have personal time. Do what you want!"

"1500 to 1830 we do training as a group in our training room."

"1830 to 2000 we cleanup, do chores, and have dinner."

"2000 to 2300 we have social time for the group."

"2300 to 0630 we sleep."

"Usually on the weekend, there will be no training although we would like to have you do some light exercise such as walking or running. Chores will still need to be done and we would like to keep the meal times the same. Of course, this all goes out the window if we are on a mission. Then we will adjust to the situation but keep as much of the training and personal time as we can. Any questions or comments?", Ranma concluded.

"I would have thought you would want to be training constantly.", Nabiki said.

"Harry convinced me that all work and no play made Harry a dull boy.", Ranma replied and ducked under a head slap from Harry. "Seriously, we need the downtime so our body and minds can adjust."

"So anytime we are not actively on a mission or traveling, we follow this schedule?", Daphne asked.

"Yes. We will try to keep up the morning training and the evening social time even then but obviously that may not happen. Night missions, recovery from injuries, needing to split up, and the like may require adjustments.", Ranma replied. "Training starts tomorrow at oh-six-thirty. Wear pants and a loose top for the first week. After that we will train in your usual combat outfits. Since nobody opted to wear one of those long robe thingies, we won't have to change out your combat gear. Now who is up for a game of Go or exploding snaps?"

**[Tent Training Room, Next morning]**

Ranma faced the group of slightly sleepy students as he addressed them.

"Ok, spread out a bit. I had the Training Room provided mats to cover the floor instead of using cushioning charms because we will eventually need to work on bare ground. The mats start getting you used to that. The first thing we are going to learn is how to fall but before that we are going to stretch out. Most injuries from exercise can be avoided if you stretch properly before you begin. Doing your stretches every day helps you when you don't have a chance before hand like in a surprise attack. Ok, everybody stand with your feet spread out just about shoulder width apart and your arms straight out to your sides. Now, keeping your arms straight, touch your left toes with your right hand. ...Good!... Now do the other side..."

"...Now touch your right toes with your right hand. Same to the left. Back to the right..."

"...Sit down with your legs stretched out in front of you at 45 degree angle like this. Reach your hands over your toes. Both hands, Luna. Now pull back on your toes for a count of ten. One, two...ten. Relax. Now again..."

"...Ok, tuck your right foot into your left leg like this. Now put your hands behind your head and touch your forehead to your right knee. Sit back up. Again. Sit up..."

"...Ok, now that we have done a bit of exercise to get warmed up, sit down and rest a bit. We are going to start learning how to fall. Anybody who thinks that they will never get knocked down or lose their footing is a fool and on this world, probably dead sooner rather than later. It is always best to fall so that the impact is on your back just below your shoulders, NOT on your neck. I will teach you how to fall backwards from an upright stance and not get hurt or have the wind knocked out of you. I will teach you how to roll out of a forward fall and spin to face your opponent. I will teach you how to recover from a fall while protecting yourself and even attacking. Now the first thing we are going to do is how to recover from a fall. Watch me while I demonstrate. Sitting on your right knee with your left foot straight out in front of you. Your right knee should be parallel to the width of your torso. Keeping your chin tucked into your chest, roll back on your right leg and kick your legs into the air while slapping both palms down to your sides. Switch legs while they are in the air and roll up onto your LEFT leg with your right foot forward. Watch me a few time and then we will all do it..."

"...Now to fall from a standing position, you need to tuck your chin to your chest, bend your knees keeping your feet flat on the ground, slap the ground with both palms and exhaling as you hit on your shoulders. If you make a 'Aiyah!' sound as you exhale it helps. This is called a Kiai in Japanese. Watch closely while I demonstrate..."(3)

"...For the last part of this session, I'll show you a few block and we will practice them. We'll start with the block for an overhead blow. Harry, if you would take a club and swing it slowly the first time..."

"...Now we need to do some simple stretches and walk around a bit to cool down some. We will go over this again in future sessions but we will mix it up a bit so it doesn't get too boring. The next session, which will be tomorrow, I'd like to have Shampoo and Ukyo assist me as a lot of this is old hat to them plus we will work some with weapons. Now, let's get get cleaned up, do our chores, and get some breakfast! Oh darn, my day to cook breakfast."

**[Team's 'House' Window Seat, Personal Time]**

Hermione sat on a cushion leaning her shoulder against the window with her legs curled up in under her the way that females do. She was holding a book in her lap but was looking out over the Frostfang Sea with a contemplative look on her face. Harry walked up and sat down behind her and began rubbing her back. She smiled briefly at his reflection in the window.

"Missing home?", he asked.

"Some.", she replied. "I miss my parents. I realize one day won't make a difference to them but it will be months or even years for me. Still, I'm used to being away from them at Hogwarts so I'm used to it now. I miss some of our other friends like Neville, Susan, and Hannah but I have some good friends here and have made some new ones. Plus there is lots to learn and explore."

"What! Not missing Ron?, he kidded her.

"Strangely, no.", she said seriously. "When the soul bond began to form, it seemed to wash away any thoughts of me loving Ron. I talked to Daphne about it and she thinks my feelings for Ron were potion induced because the soul bond cannot form if you have real romantic love for someone not in the bond. The bond purges any potions or compulsions that may be in effect."

"You mean Ron has been giving you love portions!", he said angrily.

"Not necessarily Ron.", she said leaning into him to calm him down. "It could have been Molly since she is always trying to pair us up and you with Ginny. It could have been someone else entirely. How you you feel about Ginny, by the way?"

"More like a little sister unless she is a potion princess. Then I'm going to be angry."

"Wait until we get back and can investigate. Until then try not to think about it.", she admonished him. "Harry, do you understand what the soul bond means, I mean fully?"

"Other than mind talking and knowing where you all are? You mentioned romantic love so I'm guessing that is part of it."

"It does. All of the girls on your team are in love with you. The 'I want to be with you forever and have your kids' kind of love. I finally realized I have been in love with you since you saved me from the troll in first year. Luna fell in love with you for being her friend. Daphne began to fall for you because of how you treated people. Winky's love changed when she became a wood elf but she has loved you since she bonded with you as a house elf."

"Wait, she was bonded to me!?", he exclaimed.

"Yes, so was Dobby. They need a bond to survive and chose you. I found out when Winky explained about house elves. They were a bit sneaky about it but Dobby talked Winky into it.", she giggled.

"So what does that mean to the soul bond?"

"Winky's bond was converted into the forming soul bond so she is just like Daphne, Luna, and me."

"You said forming soul bond!", he exclaimed. "What does that mean?"

"There is one step left to complete the soul bond. Until it is complete, the bond can be broken but it is painful and extremely depressing to the ones cast out. No, you can't just cast yourself out as you are central to all the bonds in our group. Once it is complete, magic will see us as married and we should gain some new abilities such as being able to shift to each other."

"So completing all the bonds will give me four wives. How is that possible?"

"Daphne says you would be able to have multiple wives even without the bond as you are the sole surviving heir to the House of Potter and you are probably the heir to the House of Black. There could be other titles you inherit as well. We need to check with the goblins when we get back. Daphne and Luna could also be Line Continuation marriages where they keep their name and their children are heirs to House Greengrass and House Lovegood. The bond will keep us from getting jealous of each other no matter what titles we may or may not have. How do you feel about completing the bond with us?"

"I have grown to love you all. I have loved you for a long time, I just thought you fancied Ron. Luna is a little sweetheart. Daphne may be the Ice Queen but she is warm hearted to me. Winky is so devoted I can't help but love her. What is the next step?"

"We girls have just been waiting on you. I'll let you know soon.", Hermione said with a smile.

"How does this affect Ranma and his girls?"

"They have the same kind of bond we do, just not with us. Magic will still recognize them as married even if the Japanese government does not. I suspect the government will, though. Kasumi and Nabiki say Ranma's mother will be trilled with how manly her son is."

"Does Ranma know all this?"

"Kasumi is going to explain it to him.", Hermione said and pulled him into a kiss.

[**Tent Training Room, 1500 hours]**

The group was arranged facing Harry and Ranma. Behind them were twenty training golems outfitted as for various professions. Harry started the session off.

"We have done pretty well so far but we have also been lucky. What we are going to work on today is situational awareness. Most of us have spells or attacks that have an area effect. Some of these will only target active hostiles in range. A lot of them will hit any potential opponent in range thus change non-hostile passersby into actively hostile enemies. We also need to be aware of where our teammates are and what their status is. We definitely don't need any 'friendly-fire' incidents. Our Norrath spells won't affect us but our Earth magic will so don't hit anyone and don't get hit."

"Behind us are twenty training golems. They are golems because the will move and fight almost like real opponents. When we start, ten of them will become immediately hostile and begin fighting us. The other ten are grouped in two groups of five and will just wander around and ignore the fight unless hit. The neutral group that is hit will attack the group that hit it which will be us."

"The golem attacks will not be fatal but will stun you if the blow would have been fatal or would knock you out of the fight. Debilitating blows will disable the body part. Our healers will be able to revive you if they are not stunned themselves. Note that the golems have healers as well." Harry turned to Ranma and indicated he should proceed.

"We are going to use what will probably be our standard formation against an enemy attacking from one direction. We have others for two, three, and four sided battles which hopefully will not occur. We will probably have others for different situations."

"For the single direction formation, Shampoo and I will be in front with Shampoo on my left. Ukyo will be slightly behind me to my right. Harry will be slightly behind Shampoo to the left. The rest of the mages will be behind them several paces back. Kasumi and Luna will be in the back with Nabiki to protect them and provide ranged support. When Harry starts the session, move quickly to your position, aligning on me. The training session will end when all hostile golems are down, we are all down, or either Harry or I stop it. In a real fight we wouldn't have the luxury of asking but does everybody understand and are you ready?"

At the general affirmative, Harry shouted, "Session COMENCE!"

Immediately, a ranger golem fired an arrow at Kasumi which Shampoo parried as the group moved into place. Hermione cast a restricted Mesmerize spell to take at least some of the attackers out of the picture for a while although a couple of them resisted it. Daphne gained control of one attacking golem and sent it back to attack the others. Winky sent Stoney to aid the fighters while Jane stayed with the mages to protect them while still casting her own spells.(4)

The golem fighters and scouts not frozen by Hermione quickly moved to melee range and engaged the four on the front line. Luna cast a shield to protect the mages from some enemy spell fire while Kasumi cast battle aids and healed some disable body parts. Nabiki targeted the opposing healers and mages.

Things were going fairly well with a few golems down and no major 'injuries' for the group until a golem dodged one of Nabiki's arrows and it hit a neutral golem behind it. "Oh, shit!" was Nabiki's comment.

Five new golems entered the fray and broke the mez on the original hostile golems as well as reviving the downed ones. The numerical odds were now in the golems favor and they took advantage of it. Luna got hit with a spell that took her and Snowball out of the fight and Kasumi was too hard pressed to revive her. Ukyo took a blow to the head which opened a gap allowing fighters to close with the mages. Stoney moved back to protect Winky. An arrow hit Daphne taking her down and releasing her pet back to the enemy.

Hermione, Winky, and Harry began casting their limited AE spells as fast as they could while defending themselves from the closing attackers. Nabiki added to the damage and finally managed to take out the enemy healers and started to concentrate on the hostile mages but a spell put her out of the battle. Fortunately, Shampoo and Ranma finished the last of the fighters and scouts allowing them to move among the opposing mages. Soon all the actively hostile golems were down and the session ended.

After the Training Room revived Luna, Ukyo, Daphne, and Nabiki, Harry had them gather in a circle on the floor.

"That was a bit intense! Shows you how fast things can go to Hades in a hand basket!", Harry commented. "Anyone have any comments on what we did wrong or could have done better?"

"I need to pay attention to my target's background!", Nabiki grumbled.

"We all do!", Ranma told her. "When we use a ranged weapon or a spell that can be dodged or ducked, we need to be aware of what we may hit if we miss our target. You were just the one that got bit that time. Also, if we swing a sword in a circle, we need to be aware of what it may hit. That situational awareness is what we are trying to train for in this session. Actually, it will probably what we constantly train for. Anything else?"

"We really need to do better in protecting our healers.", Hermione said. "When Luna got taken out, Kasumi was too busy to revive her. That lead to several others falling since Luna does most of our shields."

"Agreed!", Harry said. "What can we do to better protect them?"

"Harry, why don't we swap you and Nabiki in our formation?", Ukyo suggested. "Although you are very good with that sword, Nabiki is better armored to stand toe-to-toe. Plus you can cast shields with Earth magic to protect Kasumi and Luna while still doing the ranged work that Nabiki was doing."

"That is a good idea, Ukyo!", Ranma agreed. "His ranged spells might not have quite the range of Nabiki's bow but it would be enough. Besides, it gives him a tactical view that we don't have in the front line of the battle. Any other comments?" After looking around, he continued, "Let's set this up again swapping Harry and Nabiki and try it again!"

Later, after four more practice battles, three of which the team won handily, Ranma summed the practice up.

"We did fairly well but we can do better. It was bad luck that Kasumi got knocked into the two neutral golems behind us and they took it as an attack. Because of things like that, we need to smoothly shift from a single front battle to a two, three, or four front battle. Of course, in real battles we are going to do our darnedest to never be out numbered or surrounded even if we have to use the bug out option! If no one has anything else, let's get cleaned and get ready for dinner!"

**[Tent, Harry's Room, 2315 hours]**

Hermione slipped in the door and dropped her robe to the floor leaving her wearing only a very revealing nightie. She moved over the the bed and shook Harry's shoulder.

"Whaa!", Harry started awake. "Hermione, what are you doing here?", he said confused.

"It's time for the next step, Harry.", she said with a smile and kissed him. She pulled back the covers and straddled his crotch. She then reached up and pulled her nightie off leaving her totally nude.

"Like what you see, Harry?", she said in a sultry tone of voice.

"Uh, huh!", he sort of gurgled in the affirmative.

"Good!", she said. "Now let's get rid of those pesky shorts!"

Later, as they both climaxed, a golden glow surrounded them and branched off to the other occupied rooms on that side of the hall. The glow faded as they collapsed into each others arms.

"WOW! That was incredible!", Harry gasped. "Can we do that again!?"

"Anytime you want, Harry my love.", Hermione replied. "But remember the other girls need their turns as well. They are going to be very pleased with the size of your 'wand'!"

"I'll do my best for them, my dear, but I meant can we do it again NOW!"

"My, my, your 'wand' does seem to be ready for another go and I doubt I'll ever get enough so...", she said and kissed him as she lay back. He slid between her legs and soon the golden glow was back.

Harry's other three girls had some very interesting dreams that night. Several times.

**[Tent, Ranma's Room, 2320 hours]**

Kasumi slipped into Ranma room and found him still awake. He looked at her with a question in his eyes. She dropped her robe leaving her wearing only a pair of black lace panties.

"What's going on Kasumi?", Ranma asked. "Man, she's very beautiful!", he thought to himself.

"It's time for the next step in the bond, Ranma", she told him as she slowly slid her panties off.

"The next step?", he asked. "Kasumi, you are very beautiful!", he said repeating his thought out loud.

"Make love to me, Ranma.", she requested. "I love you so much!"

"What about Nabiki, Shampoo, and Ukyo?", he wanted to know.

"They will get their turns over the next few nights. Now please make love to me."

So he did as she requested and soon there was another golden glow branching out to the rooms on Ranma side of the hall.

**[Two weeks later, Cairn of the Huntress]**

After Hermione and Kasumi finalized their bonds, the other girls did as well in the days after. All were very pleased with the results. The girls kept their own rooms but enlarged Harry and Ranma's beds so the girls all slept with their mates. The guys quickly got very used to it and couldn't ever think of going back to sleeping alone.

They discovered one new ability so far which was to shift to the location of any other bond member. They figured that ability would be very useful. Hermione and Daphne felt there should be others but either they hadn't developed yet or they hadn't been discovered.

Harry and Ranma were a bit worried about pregnancies before completing the mission and having to leave one or more of the girls behind but Hermione and Daphne assured them that the bond would prevent any babies until the family was ready to take care of them.

The team was once again meeting with Priest Swornlove about their mission after he sent message to let them know his information had arrived.

"Ah, my friends!", Swornlove greeted them. "I see you have completed your bonds. Please accept my congratulations on your new status."

"Thank you, sir.", Harry replied.

"First some good news!", Swornlove began. "On your journey here you destroyed two dark crystals. These were being used to power the drain on your world and their destruction weakened your enemy though not enough. You will need to find more of his power taps and destroy them to weaken him enough to finally stop him. You do not need to find all of them, just enough to weak him so you can take him out."

"My informants tell me that the gnolls are up to something in the Thundering Steppes. Of course, the gnolls are always up to something but this seems to be different. They are kidnapping travelers, apparently to use in some ritual. Also the undead in the south of that land need to be investigated."

"Another area to look into is Nektulos Forest where some zombies and other undead are protecting something just to the west of Marr's Assent. When you go there be on your toes as Nektulos Forest is the definition of a hostile environment. Just the thought of the bats, spiders, snakes, and other nasties gives me the creeps."

"You should also check out Butcherblock Mountains to see what the Kragploom Aviaks are up to. You need a head for heights when you investigate them as they live high on the cliffs overlooking the bay below. Butcherblock also swarms with Kobolds, Bugbears, and other unfriendly wildlife."

"After you check out those areas, travel to Qeynos and talk to one of the priests in the Temple of Life. He or she should have more information for you by then."

"Harry, since you are a wizard, you could open a portal and travel directly to the wizard spire in the Thundering Steppes or Nektulos Forest but I recommend that you go down to the docks here and use the World Bell. It is a glowing globe that if you touch it will allow you to select a destination and, after you confirm it, transport you there. It will place you on the docks where you will need to be to ask questions of the locals. You could also take the griffin to Butcherblock and then a ship to one of the other areas but that is slooow."

"If you need to take on other jobs to support yourselves, you should do so. Just don't spend too much time on side issues."

"Thank you for your help, sir.", Harry said. "We will do our best to eliminate the threat to our worlds."

"Go with the blessings of the Marrs, my friends.", Swornlove said. "I expect to hear great things of you."

**TBC**

Author Notes:

(1) List is the same as previously noted.

(2) I'm using a 24 hour clock or as it is called in the US, military time. Strangely, Norrath has a 24 hour day.

(3) These are all things I learned in my martial arts classes. However, if you want do try these, find a reputable instructor and take lessons from them. I at one time held low level belts in jujutsu and karate. I doubt I could execute a roll or block these days with out breaking something vital.

(4) Remember Stoney, Jane, and Snowball are Winky, Hermione, and Luna's pets. Daphne can have a pet but it is never named as it is a charmed enemy.


	6. Ice Queens in Butcherblock

**Disclaimer: **See first chapter.

**AN:**

This is the first of five chapters that all take place during the same time frame. Locations, some characters, and some situations in this chapter are drawn from the Everquest II game. The dialog is not from the game, however. If anyone feels the rating should be bumped up, please let me know.

**Beta:**

Me, Myself, and I still. There are bound to be mistakes, especially dropped final letters and suffixes. If you spot plot holes or other mistakes, feel free to let me know.

**[New Halas Docks, Erollis Isle]**

The group spent one last night in New Halas discussing what their approach should be. It was decided to break the group into five two person teams. Four of the teams would consist of a mage and either a fighter or a scout. The last team would be Kasumi and Luna. That team would head to Qeynos to set up a base of operations for the group. The rest of the teams would each take one of Swornlove's problem areas. Harry and Ranma would investigate the undead in the south part of the the Thundering Steppes while Hermione and Shampoo would look into what the Gnolls were up to in that area. Winky and Ukyo would check out the Nektulos Forest. Finally, Daphne and Nabiki would look for problems in the Butcherblock Mountains.

"Well, this seems simple enough.", Harry stated. "Just touch the world bell and you get a map showing the available destinations. Touch the destination you want, confirm and away you go."

"Why don't I travel to Butcherblock to confirm how it works.", Ranma suggested. "Since it is the furthest destination, that way I can make sure we can mind talk over that distance and I'll slide back if I can. Otherwise, I'll return using the bell."

"Sounds like a plan.", Harry agreed. With that, Ranma activated the bell, selected the Butcherblock Mountains, and disappeared.

"_Girls, can you hear me?_", Ranma asked.

"_Yes we can, Ranma._", Kasumi replied. "_Did you make it there alright?_"

"_Just fine! Now I'm going to see if I can slide back!_", Ranma informed her.

"I heard Ranma as if he were standing here!", Kasumi said aloud for the benefit of Harry and his girls. "He is attempting to slide back now!" A second later, Ranma appeared next to Kasumi.

"It seems it have worked so off we go!", Harry exclaimed. "Everyone be careful and keep everybody posted. Daphne, you and Nabiki lead off."

Each of the teams selected their destinations and vanished from the New Halas docks.

**[The Butcherblock Mountains]**

Daphne and Nabiki arrived at the end of the dock and looked around. What they saw were huge cliffs with a narrow beach at the base surrounding a bay. In the bay were a number of rocky islands with a few small structures on them. The port was at the west end of the beach and seemed to be constructed mostly of stone. They saw a number of beings that their study of the races of Norrath told them were Sarnak as well as dwarves, barbarians, humans, elves, and fey. Dwarves seemed to be the most predominate race present and were different than the coldain dwarves they had met before. One dwarf looked to be an official so the girls walked over to speak with him.

"Hello, good sir!", Nabiki said. "This is Daphne and I am Nabiki. We are looking for some information on the Aviaks in the area. Would you know anyone who could help us?"

"Greetings, ladies! I'm Dockmaster Waulon.", the dwarf replied. "I figure the best person to ask would be Gherrana Cobbleblork up at the Highland Outpost. She has been studying them for a while. She is the gnomish woman near the base of the griffin station."

"How would we get up there?", Nabiki asked.

"Well, you could ride the griffin to the station up there or you could take the path up the side of the cliff. It starts at the top of the those stairs over there.", Dockmaster Waulon told them. "My opinion is that the path is faster 'cause I swear those griffins can't fly in a straight line. Griffin are faster to the other stations, though, 'cause it takes a couple of days to ride there and only an hour or two to fly."(1)

"Thank you for the information!", Nabiki said.

"Say, if you ladies are looking to earn some extra coin, I've got a bunch of jobs I need to hire someone to do!", the Dockmaster said in a pleading tone.

"Maybe later.", Nabiki said with a smile.

Even though Daphne thought it would be easier that riding a broom, the girls decided to take the path up the cliff. The path was a bit steep but not so steep that it gave the horses problems. At the top of the path, they saw two camps, one set up around the base of the griffin station tower and the other off to the north a bit. Heading toward the tower, they eventually spotted a gnomish woman standing next to a table in front of a tent.

"Are you Gherrana Cobbleblork?", Nabiki asked the woman.

"Yes, I am.", the woman replied. "May I ask who you are?"

"This is Daphne Greengrass and I'm Nabiki Tendo.", she was informed. "Dockmaster Waulon said you might be able to answer some questions about the local Aviaks."

"I suppose I do know a bit since my husband and I have been studying them to see how they fly so we can build a flying machine.", Gherrana replied. "What do you want to know?"

"What are they like?", Daphne wanted to know.

"Most of the ones around here are Kragploom Aviaks.", Gherrana informed them. "They look like bald eagles and are hostile to just about everyone and everything. The Kragplooms are the local tribe but they are all hostile. Well, except for the Owl Aviaks which are friendly. There aren't any Owl Aviaks in Butcherblock though."

"Have there been any changes in their attitude lately?", Daphne wanted to know.

"Yes, they have become a lot more agitated lately.", Gherrana said. "It could just be that Torin Hammerborn over in West Fort Irontoe keeps trying to get people to steal their eggs for him to eat, though."

"How do we find them?", Nabiki inquired.

"Just head north along the cliffs past the gorillas and you will come to a ramp that climbs to west.", Gherrana instructed them. "The other ramp there leads to the bugbear camp which you want to avoid if possible. On second thought, let me draw you a map which will help you avoid the gorillas and most of the other nasties. You will need to keep your eye out for Kragploom chicks and Kobolds that wander near here."

"Thank you for your help, Gherrana.", Nabiki said with a smile.

"You are welcome! Oh, by the way, if you should acquire some Kragploom feathers, I'll buy them from you!", Gherrana responded. "Good luck and be safe!"

The girls headed north along the route Gherrana had mapped out for them. About thirty minutes later, they encountered a creature that looked like a feathered man with wings, an eagle head, and claws for feet. The apparently young Aviak saw them and charged! Daphne cast a root spell while Nabiki fired a spread of three arrows into him (or her, they weren't sure). Daphne cast Hemorrhage followed by Brainshock. Meanwhile, Nabiki fired a burning arrow and moved in with her sword. One slash to the neck and the Aviak died.

"They are aggressive, aren't they?!", Daphne commented as she searched the body and gathered the feathers.

"They seem to be that way so I guess we need to be proactive and take them out first, if they come close.", Nabiki agreed.

They resumed their journey, keeping an eye out for and Aviaks that were getting too close. Those that seemed to be headed their way were dispatched quickly. After several hours, they reached a canyon between two mesas which their map indicated was about the halfway point and decided to rest, feed and water the horses, and have some lunch.

"I wonder what the students at Hogwarts would think about the Ice Queen being married to Harry Potter and in a plural marriage.", Daphne mused. "That and wandering around another world trying to save Earth would probably blow their minds."

"You were the Ice Queen of Hogwarts?!", Nabiki exclaimed. I was the Ice Queen of Furinkan High! I wonder if Ranma and Harry knew when they put us together?"

"Well, it didn't come up in our discussion last night so probably not.", Daphne considered. "Harry of course, knew about me but everybody seemed to think we would get along and our skills would complement each other."

"I was called the Ice Queen because I scammed everyone for money and showed no mercy.", Nabiki said. "Since daddy wasn't bringing in any money and Kasumi was having to take care of Akane, daddy, and myself, it fell to me to bring in the money. I blackmailed, schemed, conned, and generally was a lousy person. When Ranma and his father showed up, I saw them as a drain on us and Gemma basically was. However, Ranma helped out where he could and even though I originally pushed him off on Akane, I fell in love with him. And now I'm married to him, at least according to magic."(2)

"I was the Ice Queen to survive in Slytherin, which was the house I was sorted into. A lot of the males in that house would try to take advantage of any female third year of above unless you were careful and fast with a hex.", Daphne informed her. "I fell for Harry because he was nice to me and anybody who at least was not hostile to him."

"Well, we better get a move on. It should be about sundown when we get to a safe campsite.", Daphne commented. "Assuming we don't get into to many battles."

After cleaning up their debris, they mounted the horses and continued on. Hours later, the sun had dropped below the cliffs when they reached the site the map suggested camping. It was some ruins under an overhang that provided some protection from the elements as well as attacks.

"I thought gorillas weren't supposed to be aggressive!", Nabiki said as she helped set up their two person tent.

"Maybe the ones on Earth aren't but these certainly were!", Daphne replied. "I wonder if there is a market for gorilla skins?"

"Probably or we can find a use for them.", Nabiki noted. "Although, if we were to take them back home, we would probably get in trouble with the conservation groups and hunting laws. I wonder what they would make of this tent since it is made of bearskins. Not to mention the sleeping bags!"

"Well, it was something to do with all the bearskins we collected. Harry and Ranma made sure this tent would be comfortable enough but I'm going to miss the tent that Kasumi and Luna took with them. Even more, I'm going to miss sleeping with Harry.", Daphne said.

"I agree, well except I'd rather sleep with Ranma. But there is only the one magic tent and Kasumi and Luna need it to set up a base of operations. If we could slide back here after sliding to the guys, it would be nice but we can't. So here we are.", Nabiki said wistfully.

"So tell me about life in Japan..."**  
**

They talked for several hours until time to check in with their bond-mates and go to sleep.**  
**

******[Second Day in Butcherblock]****  
**

Early the next morning after checking in again with their group, Nabiki and Daphne were looking a the path to the Aviaks nesting area. The path seemed to be a naturally sloping ledge with a drop off on one side and a cliff face on the other that curved to the north about three quarters the way up the cliff. Using a telescope Nabiki had acquired in New Halas, they were getting a pretty good view of how the path was patrolled.

"I wonder why they put their homes where their enemies could get to them?", Daphne said, puzzled. "I mean, after all they can fly!"

"Don't know. Maybe they needed to be able to bring things in that are too heavy to fly with?", Nabiki pondered. "Also see how some of the patrols are walking while others fly around?"(3)

"Do you think we can just slip by them under stealth?", Daphne asked.

"Maybe. However, some of them may be able to see through my stealth and if they do, stealth will drop.", Nabiki said considering. "We can give it a shot anyway. It will probably be better if we stay close to the cliff wall."

"Good idea!"

As the girls approached the ramp, Nabiki used her stealth technique to make them almost impossible to see and they started up the path. As they began to climb, Daphne noticed the flying ones seemed to be outlined in red while the walking ones did not.(4) When they were not close to a walking Aviak, she whispered to Nabiki, "I think the flying ones can see us if they get too close."

"I think you are right!", Nabiki whispered back. "They don't seen to come up close to the cliff so let's try to hug it!"

This worked until they had almost reached the curve in the path when one of them kicked a small rock and attracted the attention of one of the fliers. As soon as he got close, he spotted them and dove to attack. Unfortunately, one of the walking Aviaks was nearby and moved to join him.

"Bummer!", Daphne said as she cast the Charm spell on the walker. As soon as it took hold, she directed him to attack his flying buddy. This allowed Nabiki to back off a bit and use her ranged attacks to destroy the original attacker. The fight attracted the attention of another flier who then attacked. Daphne's charmed pet moved to protect her and allowed Nabiki to unleash her arrows on the new target and quickly downed him. The fight had severely damaged Daphne's pet so she had him face her while Nabiki got behind him. Daphne broke the charm and Nabiki drove a sword through his heart.

Since no other Aviaks seemed to notice the fight, Nabiki re-invoked stealth and they continued up the path. After another hour or so, they came to a rock face that looked to have had things dragged up it. Since the path ended at that point, it was either go up the wall or give up.

Nabiki turned to Daphne and asked, "How are you at rock wall climbing?"

"I don't even want to think about it!", Daphne answered. "Besides, I have another idea. Do you have a rope in your pack?"

"That would be no."

"Oh well, I can conjure one that will last long enough." Daphne cast a spell using her wand and handed one end to Nabiki. "I'm going to levitate you to the top and then levitate myself so you can pull me in."

"Why bother with the rope if you can levitate yourself?"

"Because although I can control where you go when I levitate you, when I levitate myself, I just go up."

"Ok, let's do it!"

Dismissing the horses, they proceeded as Daphne outlined and reached the top of the rock wall where they found the Aviak village. Daphne cast a spell Luna had taught her that might detect the dark crystal. The trace seemed to indicate a location to the northeast. Under stealth and moving carefully, they explored the area. Even when they climbed the rickety walkways to the huts they found nothing. They did discover another rock wall that lead to a higher part of the village. Casting Luna's spell indicate a trace to the east, even at the eastern most part of the upper village. but had no luck there either. Finally, they headed back down to where they had camped the night before, arriving as darkness was falling. Quickly setting their camp back up and dismissing the horses, they sat down to relax and think about the situation.

"Nabiki, do you have a copy of those maps that Hermione obtained?"

"They're in my pack. Let me dig them out."

Daphne took the maps and looked at the one for the Butcherblock Mountains. After a few minutes, she motioned Nabiki to look at the map.

"This is about where we were when I cast the locator spell the first time when it pointed basically northeast. Later, in the upper village, I was about here when it pointed east. If you draw lines from those points in the direction indicated, they cross somewhere in the area that Gherrana said the bugbears have a camp which looks to be north northwest of where we are now.", Daphne said and cast the locator spell again. The trace pointed north northwest.

"It's in the bugbear camp!", Nabiki sighed.

******[Third Day in Butcherblock]****  
**

The next morning, the girls once again used the telescope to check out patrols and guards. The ramp up to the bugbear camp was guarded by what seemed to be scouts and fighters. They had also located another path that appeared to lead to the camp that was patrolled by dogs and their handlers. Occasionally, they would spot bugbears in ceremonial robes that was probably shamans and some that appeared to be officers. Deciding that the ramp had a lower density of patrollers, they proceeded that way under stealth.

They soon discovered that the bugbears they thought were scouts could see through stealth and when attacking would call every bugbear within earshot. After this, Nabiki just picked them off as soon as they got in her range, usually killing them quickly enough that they didn't raise any alarm. However, if they did manage to alert their fellows and mob the girls, Daphne would charm one and do crowd control on the rest using Ego Shock and Mesmerize until Nabiki could deal with them. Having a lot of Kasumi provided healing potions was a good thing.

After an hour or so, they reached the top of the ramp and hid behind a large rock to spy on the camp. It was located on a plateau that was surrounded on all sides by cliff walls except for the southeast corner where the two paths entered the camp. The girls could see a flurry of activity and constant patrols. Nabiki spotted several groups of fighters training and what appeared to be stockpiled supplies.

"Looks like they are planning a way!", she whispered.

"Yes. Do you think we could throw a spanner in the works while we are searching for the dark signal?", Daphne whispered back.

"Might as well, could be fun!", Nabiki grinned.

Reapplying stealth, staying behind rocks, and away from the bugbear troops, they edged along the cliff wall to the west. About half an hour later, they came to a pen with a flock of mountain sheep.

"What do you bet these are to be used for food supplies?", Daphne queried.

"That would be a sucker bet!", Nabiki returned. "They are wild sheep so if we just break down the fence they will scatter. An army can't fight well on an empty stomach."

"Good idea!", Daphne said and banished a section of the fence with her wand.

"What does the dark trace show now?"

"Let me see." Daphne cast the spell. "North and a little west from here."

A few minutes later, they came upon a group of fighters being drilled in combat maneuvers. Since there were more of the soldiers than they felt they could deal with, the girls carefully slipped by, still headed north along the cliff wall which began to curve slightly to the west. Once they were out of sight of the troops, Daphne cast the dark trace spell again.

"Still north but a little more west."

An hour of so later, the trace pointed west into an alcove in the cliff. The girls carefully approached the recess but were not able to see anything that the trace was pointing to. As they neared the back wall, Daphne stubbed her toe on what was apparently thin air.

"I've got something here that is invisible!", she informed Nabiki. "Let me see if I can dispel the magic so we can see it." After several attempts with different spells, she dispersed the invisibility and revealed a familiar dark crystal.

"I don't think the bugbears put it here.", Daphne said. "It may be here to adsorb the aggression of the bugbears while riling them up a bit although I don't think they need much. The Aviaks are right above so it might affect them as well."

"What ever it is doing, let's just destroy it and get out of here!"

With that statement, Nabiki brought the hilt of her sword on the crystal hard and it shattered into powder.

"_Harry, we found another crystal and Nabiki just destroyed it!_", Daphne thought to Harry.

"_That's good to hear. I'll let Ranma know if Nabiki doesn't._", Harry replied. "_Take very good care of yourselves! I love and miss you!_"

"_I love you too and can't wait until we are all back together!_", Daphne returned. "_Talk to you tonight!_"

Nabiki had noticed the slight glazed look of mind speech and waited until Daphne was finished. She then sent her own thoughts to Ranma, promising him to make up for their time apart when they got back together.

As they exited the alcove, they spotted a group of tents some distance in front of them. Nabiki used her telescope to check them out and discovered they were filled with crates and barrels labeled with either 'Property of the Far Seas Trading Company' or 'Property of the Irontoe Brigade'. The tents were guarded by two shamans and what appeared to be two of a higher ranking fighter.

"Since Irontoe is the local dwarven clan and they are constantly fighting with the bugbears, it is not likely that the bugbears came by this stuff honestly.", Nabiki observed. "If we take out the guards, we can load some of it in our packs and take it to the fort we heard about. We need to go there for information, anyway. What we can't carry, we should destroy."

"Sounds like a plan. Concentrate on the shamans first?"

"Yep! Let's go!"

With that, Nabiki began to fire arrows into the guards. Daphne charmed a fighter and had him attack one of the shamans while attempting to hold Mesmerize on the other guards. The shaman Daphne's pet was attacking went down and she switched it to the other shaman. Meanwhile, Nabiki finished off the uncharmed fighter and attacked the shaman as well. Once he was finished, Daphne set her pet up for Nabiki to backstab him and released the charm. He fell from a single blow.

The girls quickly loaded up as much as their packs had room for, concentrating on the ones marked as property of the Irontoe Brigade. When they finished, Daphne vanished the remainder.

"Now let's get out of here!"

It was after dark when the girls got back to the campsite of the night before. After setting camp back up, they checked the map and found that West Fort Irontoe was about a days ride to the west. After checking with their bond-mates, two very tired girls went to bed.

******[Fourth Day in Butcherblock]****  
**

The next morning, the girls set out for West Fort Irontoe, hoping to reach there by sunset. The ride was mostly uneventful as they were careful to skirt the gorillas and the mountain sheep were not aggressive. They did have a bit of a run-in with some creatures that looked like a cross between a giant mosquito and a humming bird with the mosquito part being dominate. Having managed to get rid of the few that they encountered, they rode into the fort about an hour before sunset. They asked the guard at the gate to see an officer and he pointed them toward Jonedom Kilnkor. They approached the indicated dwarf man.

"Jonedom Kilnkor?", Nabiki inquired.

"That 'd be me.", Jonedom replied. "What can I do for ye?"

"We spent yesterday sneaking around the bugbear camp where we saw what looked like preparations for war.", Nabiki informed him. "We also 'liberated' a few supplies that were marked as your property. We couldn't carry them all so we destroyed the rest."

"Preparations for war, ye say?", Jonedom said with a frown. "That 'd not be good news but it's best to know these things. You say you recovered some of our supplies? What 'd ye be wanting for them?"

"Just some information if you have it and we can fill you in on what we saw in the camp.", Nabiki told him.

"That 'd be right nice of ye!", Jonedom exclaimed. "Just put the stuff down by the tent and 'll have Verung come fetch it in a bit."

After unloading the reclaimed supplies, the girls filled Jonedom in on what they had seen in the bugbear camp. To say the least, he wasn't pleased with what the bugbears were up to but he seemed to feel that forewarned is forearmed.

"Now what did ye ladies need to know?", Jonedom asked. "If'n I don't know, me'haps 'll know someone who does."

"We are looking for any unusual activity, especially concerning the undead. We have already investigated the Aviaks and were hoping you might know of anything in the area.", Nabiki said.

"Well 's far as undead go, there's always the Estate of Unrest down south o' here. Can't say 's it changes 'cause it has been that way since before Luclin(5) was destroyed.", Jonedom informed them. "The skellies over by the Chessboard been acting a bit more frisky o' late with more of them bein' about."

"That sound like what we are looking for.", Nabiki said, nodding. "How would we get there?"

"Best way riding would be ta go back to the Highland Outpost an' take th' griffin to the Lesser Faydark station. Southwest o' there 'd be Unrest an' east would be the Chessboard.", he told them. "Course, bein' a scout, you could recall back to the dock and take th' griffin from there."

"Thank you for your help, sir.", Nabiki said. "We should get started."

"Before ye go, it'd be a shame for ye ladies to carry all those supplies and get no reward!", Jonedom said as he handed Nabiki a bag of coin. "It's worth this an' more to us to get them back. An' call me Jonedom!"

"Very well!", Nabiki said with a laugh. "Thank you again and especially for the coin! Now, we should get moving."

After they moved out of earshot, Daphne turned to Nabiki and said, "You charmed him so he would feel favorably towards us and still give us money!"

"That I did!", Nabiki grinned. "There is quite a few coins in the bag and a lot of them are gold!"

"On a different subject, why don't we see if any of the other teams is near a world bell." Daphne suggested. "If they are, we can slide there, spend the night with them, and return to the Butcherblock docks tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me!", Nabiki agreed. "_Is anyone near a world bell? Daphne would like to slide to you if you are to avoid a bit of a ride._"

"_Luna and I are, Nabiki._", Kasumi replied. "_The inn where we have the tent set up has one behind it. We are in the tent now._"

"Kasumi says there is one close to where she and Luna are at! What do you say we slide there, have a nice hot soak and a nice dinner, and start at the docks tomorrow?"

Daphne agreed so after dismissing the horses, that is what they did.

******[Fifth Day in Butcherblock]****  
**

After spending the night in the group's tent with Kasumi and Luna where Kasumi taught them how to recall to a preset location and setting that location for the inn that Kasumi and Luna had set up in, Nabiki and Daphne took the bell back to Butcherblock, arriving early in the morning. Once again taking the cliff path to the Highland Outpost, where Gherrana gladly bought all the feathers they had acquired. Climbing the griffin tower, they asked the griffin trainer to travel to the Lesser Faydark station. She put them on a griffin and sent them on their way. After a four hour surprisingly comfortable ride, they arrived at the Lesser Faydark tower. Descending from the tower, they summoned their horses and took a look around. Seeing a gnome talking to some travelers, they approached him.

"Greetings, good sir.", Nabiki said to the man. "I'm Nabiki Tendo and this is Daphne Greengrass. We were wondering if we could ask you for some information about the area."

"Greetings, ladies. Acton Cogwidget at your service.", the man replied. "As that is my job here at Three Roads Outpost, I'd be more than happy to."

"We are investigating some possible trouble spots in the area.", Nabiki informed him. "One is the Estate of Unrest which we were told is southwest of here. The other location is the Chessboard which our informant said was to the east."

"Oh, those are both trouble spots!", Acton replied. "Unrest is indeed the southwest but the only path is through a Kobold encampment. It will take you at least a day to get through the passage in the cliffs, if you don't spend too much time having to fight off attackers. The Chessboard is actually more to the northeast from here but to reach it you would take the east road. The road passes close to another Kobold village but generally they leave you alone if you stay on the road. On horseback, you should reach there well before sundown, if you left now."

"The Estate has been has been a place of the undead for as long as anyone can remember.", he continued. "If you go there it is best to go in a group and make sure your skills are top notch. The Chessboard has always had a few skeletons about but lately people have reported more of the them and stronger ones."

"Thank you for the information and your time.", Nabiki said with a smile. "We'd best be on our way!"

"So the Chessboard first, then?", Daphne asked as they turned away from Acton.

"That would be my thought since we can get there today.", Nabiki agreed. "We can camp near there tonight and deal with any problems tomorrow. What does the trace show?"

"There is a faint trace to the northeast so the east road it is.", Daphne replied.

As they headed down the road, they noticed another colony of gorillas that they decided to carefully avoid. The road ran through a large, mostly flat valley that was surrounded on most sides by vertical cliffs. The mountains all seemed to be table mountains or what the Americans called mesas. The land was dry but not parched so they figured that although the mountains blocked a lot of the rainfall, enough got through for grass, bushes, and the occasional tree to survive.

After a while, they left the gorilla colony behind and began to see a few young Kobolds off to the side of the road. Since they felt no need to engage in meaningless fights, they stayed well away from them. Soon they noticed what appeared to be large stone chess pieces in the distance. As they drew closer, they could make out a broken chessboard composed of two meter (a little over six feet) black and white stone squares. Nabiki's telescope spotted a number of skeletons on and around the board.

"I think we need to use the rest of the day to find someplace safe to spend the night and deal with the animated bones tomorrow.", Nabiki said.

Daphne agreed and they found an out of the way overhang with room to set up their camp. After Daphne cast 'Notice Me Not' and some protection wards, they settled in for the evening. They checked in with their bond-mates, shook their heads about what the others were up to, and spent the evening telling each other about their childhoods.

******[Sixth Day in Butcherblock]****  
**

The next morning, Daphne cast the trace and they headed out in that direction. As they got closer to the Chessboard, they began encountering skeletons that would attack at once. At first this was no problem as they were easily dispatched. Before long, Daphne noticed the most of the ones they 'killed' were getting back up after a few minutes and following after them.

"Bloody hell!", Daphne growled. "Only the ones you hit with your flame attacks are staying down! Time to for me to switch tactics!" She took out her wand and yelled, "Fireball!". (6)

The resulting ball of fire hit a group of about six skeletons, burning them to ashes.

"Right, Lightning Strike and Searing Shot only!", Nabiki said. "Anyway to enchant my melee weapons to do fire damage?"

"I don't know of one right now!", Daphne replied as she cast Flame Spear at another skeleton. "Hermione, Luna, and I will have to work on it. Perhaps runes or something!"

"That would be good sooner than later!", Nabiki said as she fired Triple Shot followed by Searing Shot to take out another foe. "Maybe ice and lightning enchantments too just in case we need them!"

"That is a good idea!", Daphne agreed as she cast Flame Spear again to finish of the current set of attackers. "There are various elementals and golems that enchanted weapons should work better against! Whew!"

"Now that we have a bit of a lull, let me cast the trace again.", she said and did so. "It appears to be pointing to that stone rook or past it."

"Then let's head in that direction."

As they got closer to the rook, the number of skeletons began to increase. Most were like the one they had already fought but a few were 'clothed' differently, like the two that had helmets with tops shaped like a rook and one wearing a bishops hat.

"Undead chessmen, you think?", Nabiki asked as she dealt with the 'bishop'.

"Maybe.", Daphne returned. "If so, it must have been like wizard's chess."

As they rounded the stone rook, they ran into an army of undead chessmen including a 'king', a 'queen', a couple of 'knights', and a lot of 'pawns'.

"Uh oh! Get ready to pop us out of here if I pass out or lose control of my spell", Daphne said quickly and then shouted, "Fire Storm". A wall of fire erupted from her wand and surrounded the two of them, turning the arrayed skeletons into pyres. As she finished the spell, she sank to her knees and gasped, "Did I get all of them?"

"Just a few in the back that I can take care of. Rest a minute.", Nabiki informed her, quickly destroying the stragglers.

"Merlin, that took a lot out of me!", Daphne exclaimed. "I would not have even been able to do it before I bonded with Harry. I really hope I don't have to do it again today."

"I don't see or detect anything nearby so you shouldn't have too.", Nabiki assured her. "Rest a while so you can cast the trace again while I go plunder the remains. Those crowns should be worth something even if you melted them down. I'll stay in sight."

The remains yielded quite a bit of coin plus several pieces of jewelery that had survived the fire and a few bits of armor. After Daphne recovered enough, she cast the trace which still pointed to the rook.

"Well, we can guess why the skeletons seem to be gathered here.", Nabiki commented. Searching around the small tower for some kind of opening and finding none, she finally climbed on top where she found a trapdoor. Carefully checking it for traps and finding none, she slowly opened it. Inside were two skeletons of the 'pawn' variety, which she quickly destroyed, and at the bottom another dark crystal. Taking a loose big rock from the ruins of the rook, she dropped it on the crystal and it shattered into dust.

"What does the trace say now, Daphne?"

"The trace is gone!", Daphne answered her. "You destroyed it!"

"It was a team effort.", Nabiki said with a grin. "If you are up to traveling, we can get back to Three Roads Outpost today and start fresh for Unrest in the morning. Or do you need to rest here tonight and travel tomorrow?"

"The rest I need I can get in the saddle now so let us head back.", Daphne replied. "You know, I think this may have destroyed any desire I had to play chess of any kind!"

The girls mounted their horses and set off on a thankfully boring ride to the Three Roads Station where they camped for the night.

******[Seventh Day in Butcherblock]****  
**

The next morning, the trace spell did not show a trace but they felt they might be out of range so they set off to find the Estate of Unrest. The Gnolls were where Anton said they were but didn't seem to be able to detect them under stealth so they were able to creep by. It turned out there was another path that Anton had not told them about. However, it went through elementals, fire drakes, and Gnolls plus would have taken longer so they forgave him for not mentioning it.

The passage to the Estate of Unrest was a canyon with vertical cliff walls as seemed to be everywhere in the Butcherblock Mountains. As they moved south along the passage, they were attacked more and more frequently by things out of your nightmares and that got progressively more difficult to destroy even with Daphne's fire spells. Checking for the dark trace frequently, there was still no sigh of it by the time they reached the Estate gates and it was getting close to nightfall.

"So now what do we do?", Daphne inquired. "I think entering here is going to be a bit difficult for just the two of us and I still get no trace on a dark crystal."

"With the monsters I can sense beyond the gates, I agree that tackling this place with just the two of us would be foolhardy.", Nabiki replied. "I vote we recall back to Qeynos and call Butcherblock finished for now. If we need to come back here, we will need to bring a larger team. Plus, I'd hate to have to camp here and no way am I going in there at night without a lot more firepower!"

"So, back to Qeynos, then?"

"I think so. If any of the others need us, which they haven't so far, we can slide from there. Also, you and Luna can start researching what enchantments we can place on our weapons."

"Let's go then!"

So the girls dismissed their horses and recalled back to the inn in Qeynos.

**TBC**

Updated: August 21, 2013 (Minor change to AN section)**  
**

Footnotes:

(1) While, in my opinion, Everquest II has a large game world, most zones you can cross in fifteen minutes or less. For this story, I'm stretching it out a bit. The bit about the path being quicker is true because the griffin flies around a bit to gain height and give you a tour of the landscape.

(2) This is more of a fanon version of Nabiki as some people have the opinion that canon does not support this version of Nabs. My story though so my take on Nabiki.

(3) In Everquest II, the mobs (mobile objects) have floating labels that tell you what they are. Our folks don't have the floating labels and so will not know this unless someone tells them or the mobs are wearing something to identify what they are. The walking Aviaks are Kragploom Predators and the flying ones are Kragploom Scavengers but for our story you don't need to know this so it will usually not be mentioned.

(4) This is a special ability granted the group by Mithaniel Marr way back at the beginning.

(5) The moon of Norrath. Its destruction was the cause of the catastrophic event that occurred about five hundred years ago.

(6) Did I mention I'm lazy? Instead of trying to find the pseudo Latin for a spell, I'm just going to underline the name to indicate a different language.


	7. The Elf and the Chef in Nektulos Forest

**Disclaimer: **See first chapter.

**AN:**

This is the second of five chapters that all take place during the same time frame. Locations, some characters, and some situations in this chapter are drawn from the Everquest II game. The dialog is not from the game, however. There is a bit of a bloodletting in this chapter but nothing too explicit. If anyone feels the rating should be bumped up, please let me know.

**Beta:**

Me, Myself, and I still. There are bound to be mistakes, especially dropped final letters and suffixes. If you spot plot holes or other mistakes, feel free to let me know.

**[First Day, Nektulos Forest]**

Ukyo and Winky appeared on a long dock next to a world bell. After letting their bond-mates know they had arrived safely, they spoke briefly with the Dockmaster who didn't have time to talk to them as a ship was coming in.

"Why don't head down the dock until we find someone we would be comfortable talking with?", Ukyo suggested.

"I agree!", Winky agreed. "Some of these people look to be bad people!"

Mounting their horses, they rode down the dock toward the wide beach that it served. Most of the people they passed were either very busy or didn't strike them as the kind of person they would be willing to talk with. Some of them literally stank. Finally, at the very end of the dock, they encountered a halfling woman who was talking to a traveler they had seen ahead of them on the dock. They dismounted and approached the small woman.

"Hello, ma'am.", Ukyo said in greeting. "This is Winky Potter(1) and I'm Ukyo Kuonji. We are new to the area and were wondering if you would be willing to answer a few questions about it."

"Welcome to Port Naythex, ladies!", the woman said. "I'm Daisy Winterhope. I do know a bit about the Forest so ask your questions!"

"We are looking for Marr's Ascent.", Ukyo told her. "Also, any unusual activity in the area, especially with the undead."

"Hmm, let me think, Marr's Ascent, that sounds familiar but not quite right. Oh you must mean N'Mar's Ascent!", Daisy informed them.

"That could be it.", Ukyo agreed. "Either the person who told us about it had it wrong or we misheard it. Can you tell us how to get there?"

"Well, you could take the Hidden Shore Road to the first intersection, take the road east, follow it across the nearly ruined bridge to the four way intersection, take the north road to the ramp, climb the ramp, and you're there after a two and a half day ride," Daisy said all in one breath. "Or you could take the griffin from the station here on the beach to the N'Mar's Ascent Station and be there in a few hours."

"What do we need to do to take the griffin?", Winky asked.

"Just climb the griffin tower and ask the griffin trainer for transportation and who ever it is today will send you on your way.", Daisy answered her. "There is no fee if that is what you are wondering. Either one of the empires pays for it or the Far Seas Trading Company does, I'm not sure which."

"What else can you tell us about Nektulos Forest?", Ukyo prompted.

"Well, I once had a soldier friend of mine refer to it as biologically diverse and a green hell.", Daisy informed them. "A lot of the life in there will try eat you or just kill you for the fun of it. Get too close to some plants and animals, and you will be poisoned, zapped with a elemental attack, or have your strength sapped. And that is not mentioning the undead."

"Have there been any changes in behavior by the undead or anything else, for that matter?", Ukyo wanted to know.

"Not that I know of.", Daisy replied. "But if you are going to N'Mar's Ascent, talk to the officer in charge of the detachment there. He or she receives reports on activity in the Forest and might be able to help you."

"Thank you for your help, Daisy!", Ukyo said.

"Yes, you were very helpful!", Winky agreed.

"You girls are welcome! Do be careful out there!", Daisy told them. "And if you run across any owlbears or crabs, I pay good money for their carcasses."

"We'll keep that in mind.", Ukyo said with a smile. She turned to Winky. "So horseback or griffin back, sugar?"

"Fly definitely! The less time we are away from the boys, the better!", Winky said with a grin.

So after riding over to the tower and dismissing the horses, they climbed the tower and asked for transportation to the N'Mar's Ascent Station. The griffin trainer soon had them on their way.

After flying through a canyon that cut through the low mountains that separated the beach from the inland, they flew out over a broad forest that while not a jungle was still dense. The griffin followed the same path that Daisy had described as the horse route and flew low enough for a while that the girls could see some of the local flora and fauna. As the griffin began to climb, they could see that the forest seemed to be in a large valley surrounded by low mountains on all sides with the northern quarter at a higher altitude than the southern portion. The western boundary between the upper and lower sections was a vertical cliff while to the east it was merely a steep slope. It was toward the cliff that the griffin flew and the reason it had gained altitude.

The detachment Daisy mentioned wasn't hard to find as it was camped around the base of the tower where the griffin had dropped them. Finding the officer was more of a problem as there wasn't one there. There was a soldier that appeared to be a non-com so the girls approached him.

"Excuse me, sir.", Ukyo started.

"I'm NOT a sir, ma'am, I WORK for a living!", the soldier interrupted and then smiled. "Sorry, a very old military joke. I'm Sergeant Cornelius. What can I do for you ladies?"

"I'm Ukyo Kuonji and this is Winky Potter. We were sent to investigate some unusual disturbances in Nektulos Forest.", Ukyo informed him. "Daisy Winterhope at the Port Naythex dock suggested we speak with your officer about what he knew."

"Well, the lieutenant is down at the Commonlands station taking care of some business but I figure I probably help you.", the sergeant told them. "What did you need to know?"

"We are looking for unusual activities, things that are different from the Forests usual happenings.", Winky said. "We were told the undead to the west of here are more active than is usual for them. We also would like to know if there are other places that things are different, especially if it involves the undead."

"Well there is an abandoned camp west of here, Camp Leeot, that is overrun with ghouls.", the sergeant informed them. "My patrols have reported that there seem to be more of them than normal and they are even more aggressive than usual. There are also reports that the fiends and patchwork men around Nektropos Castle seem to be agitated. You might also check with Field Investigator Chel Morgan up at Bone Lake."

"How do we get to these places?", Ukyo asked.

"Bone Lake is easy. There is a griffin station there.", the sergeant replied. "The other two are easy enough to find if you survive to get there. For Camp Leeot, take the road there north to where it crosses the east-west road and turn west. The road dead-ends into the camp. There are Dragoon skeletons, treants (both aggressive and non), flying snakes called quetzanek which are not aggressive, the occasional mad giant, and Nek wasps which are nasty not to mention the ghouls in the camp. The trip is a bit less than a days ride. For the castle, go east instead of west at the crossroad. There will be a lot of the same dangers as to the west but adding patchwork men, golems, and fiends. That trip is two to three days, depending on conditions."

"Conditions?", Ukyo said raising her eyebrow.

"How many battles you have to fight.", the sergeant told her.

"Oh! Well, thank you for your help, Sergeant.", Ukyo said. "You and your men stay safe!"

"Safe is not our job, ma'am but thanks for the thought. You ladies be careful out there."

The girls moved out of earshot to discuss their options.

"What do you think, Winky?"

"I think we should go west first because it is a shorter trip and I can feel the faint taint of a dark crystal in that direction. I can pop us back here after we check it out and we can check out the castle. A pop back here and a griffin ride and we can chat with the investigator."

"Sounds like a plan. Too bad you can't just pop us there in the first place."

"It would be nice but I can't go somewhere where I haven't been or can't see."

The ride west was a tiring one, mostly because of having to be constantly alert to threats. They managed to avoid all but one of the Dragoons and swore to avoid anymore. They were amazed at the treants, which were walking trees, and had to destroy several of the aggressive ones. They encountered no giants and no wasps for which they were thankful. As the sun began to set, they saw the destroyed gates of the abandoned camp and began to look for a place to camp themselves.

"You know what, sugar? How far can you pop? Like can you pop back to the docks from here?

"Easily!"

"Why don't we see if Kasumi and Luna have found a place in Qeynos. If they have, we can slide there and you can pop us back here tomorrow!"

"Even if I can't pop us all the way from Qeynos, we can use the world bell to get back to the docks here! I like it! I mean our tent is nice but I've rather gotten use to sleeping in a nice bed. Maybe the guys will be there!"

"Probably not but we can hope!"

After checking with Luna and Kasumi and finding out of the way spot to return to, the girls slid back to the Tent to spend the night.

**[Second Day, Nektulos Forest]**

The next morning, the girls returned to their selected spot using the world bell to get back to the docks and then having Winky pop them back. Winky had felt she could have popped the whole distance but it would have left her exhausted which would have defeated the purpose.

As they approached the gates again, they could see beyond them to tell that the camp was in as much disrepair as the gates. There were a number of wagons that looked as though they were designed to live in although with the holes in the roofs and walls they wouldn't be comfortable now. There were broken carts and crates, old bones, and other trash scattered about the site. In amongst all this were dozens of zombie like creatures that the girls assumed were the ghouls.

Remembering what she had heard and seen of the similar Inferi used by Voldemort, Winky whispered, "I'd better call up Smoky! We will probably need to burn these things!"(2)

Ukyo nodded in agreement and asked quietly, "Do you still feel a dark crystal this way?"

"Yes, and I feel it is close!"

"That is good. I'd try to sneak us in under stealth but it would drop as soon as we tried to destroy the crystal and I don't fancy being surrounded by attacking ghouls."

"So we go in the slow but sure way?"

"You got it, sugar! Let's start with the one closest to us by that broken wheel."

The girls began to methodically clear out the foul creatures, usually one or two at a time except for a few times when they unluckily attracted the attention of extras that wandered into the fight area. Fortunately, fire was not required to put them down permanently as long as the head was removed. Finally, after an hour or so, they managed to 'kill' all the current residents of the old camp.

"Now where is that crystal?", Ukyo queried.

"It seems to be buried here by this old chest. Let me remove the dirt covering it." Winky snapped her fingers and banished the dirt at the location she thought the crystal was located. Sure enough, about eighteen inches (46 cm) down, they found a familiar looking crystal. Ukyo used the flat of her battleaxe, er, spatula to smash it into dust. After Winky confirmed its destruction, she popped them back to the crossroads and they headed east.

In the beginning, the trip east was very much like the trip the trip west the previous day although they did manage to avoid all the Dragoon skeletons they came across. Fewer of the treants were hostile and they saw no wasps. By late afternoon, they could hear water running and decided to push on to find out what it was. Twilight was just setting in when they reached a bridge over a small river.

"This looks like a good place to stop for tonight. It will be easy to pop back to and the bridge gives us a clear view of the road on both sides.", Winky commented.(3)

"Agreed!", was Ukyo's response.

Since Kasumi had showed them how to recall to a predefined location the night before and they had set that location to their inn, they simply recalled back to Qeynos for the night.

**[Third Day, Nektulos Forest]**

After returning to the bridge the next morning, the girls set off eastward again although the road had become more generally northeasterly as it wound on its way. The area around them the first few hours was like the area they traveled the day before. They did see some skeletons to the north of the road but they didn't seem to be aggressive so no battles were fought. Around mid-morning the land began to change into a broad canyon or a narrow valley and the road began to climb slightly. They saw several man like creatures that seemed to be sewn together out of parts from several different bodies. Since they had a red aura, they did their best to avoid them.

As midday passed, there were more of the patchwork men and they had to fight them off frequently. Fortunately, they were vulnerable to swords, shuriken, and most spells. They also encountered a different kind of skeleton which also had to be fought off when they got too close.

Around the middle of the afternoon, they fought their first golem which was a bit tougher and more aggressive than the training room provided but with the two of them the golems weren't too bad. However, by the end of the day, the girls were tired and glad to find a large rock to hide behind so they could recall back to the inn where the Tent was set up.

**[Fourth Day, Nektulos Forest]**

Carefully coming out from behind their rock the next morning, the girls continued to follow the road as it became slightly steeper. The monsters they encountered were the same as the afternoon before until a little after midday. They them began to be attacked by winged demonic creatures that they assumed were the fiends they had been told about. Although they were savage and used some dark magic, the girls were able to handle them without much difficulty. It was about this time that Winky began to sense the magic of a dark crystal again.

About mid-afternoon, the road took a sharp bend to the east and went over a little rise. It continued into a small squarish valley with a gloomy, dilapidated castle surrounded by a moat in the center. The road continued up to the obviously permanently down drawbridge.

"I suppose you are going to tell me the crystal is in the castle?", Ukyo said.

"I don't think so.", Winky replied. "There is some kind of evil ward or shield over the castle that would block my senses and I can still feel the crystal. Most likely, it is behind the castle."

"My tracking abilities tell me there are a LOT of fiends, patchwork men, and skeletons around the castle. Add to that I see what appear to be gargoyles on the castle walls!"

"The northwest corner of this valley seems to be empty. Why don't you put us under stealth and I'll pop us there and see where the crystal feels like from there."

"Ok, it is definitely behind the castle!", Winky said shortly after they arrived at the corner of the valley. "Hold on, I'm going to pop us twice, once to the northeast corner and then to the middle of the valley wall behind the castle!"

Upon arriving at her selected spot, Winky turned and faced almost directly toward the castle.

"It feels like it is about half way between me and the moat!", Winky whispered. "Maybe where that stone obelisk is."

"That would be par for the course.", Ukyo whispered back. "So in, on it, or under it?"

"Under it, I think."

"Well, there don't seem to be any monsters close by at the moment so let's check it out!"

They walked over to the stone pillar and circled it at a little distance. The lower portion was carved with strange runes and the whole thing gave off an aura of evil. Not willing to touch it, Ukyo reached out with her sword and poked it. At that moment, the upper portions transformed into a large stone gargoyle and attacked!

"Mevraneth will destroy soft ones who bother master's things", the gargoyle screamed as Stoney intercepted it. "You die NOW!"(4)

Ukyo threw some of her custom shuriken and drew her swords and attacked. She soon found that the swords barely damaged the gargoyle. Stoney was doing alright with his crushing blows so she switched to her battle spatula(5) and began to use the flat side of it. Winky cast a Earthquake followed by a rain of boulders from the Shattered Earth spell, She cast Aqueous Swarm to set her water minions on Mevraneth. While Ukyo continued to bash with her spatula, Winky started cycling between Crystal Blast and Ice Storm mixed with the Shattered Earth when ever she could. When Stoney began to suffer damage, she healed him to keep him in the fray. Ukyo ducked a blow and chugged a healing potion. She spun back around and let the gargoyle have it in the head. When Stoney got its attention focused on him, she ducked behind it and grounded it by taking off a wing. As it spun around to face her, Stoney smashed a leg and Winky took off an arm. While still fighting and dangerous, the loss of its mobility allow the girls and Stoney to quickly wear it down and finally smash it to bits.

"Whew!", Ukyo said huffing. "I didn't expect a guardian, especially that tough!"

"Neither did I!", Winky assured her. "I was going to suggest that we put the obelisk in place in case our enemy checked but with the top destroyed there is not much point so I'm just going to levitate it out of the way."

Winky floated the pillar up and to the side where she just let it drop. It fell on its side and broke into several pieces. Underneath was a stone box containing the familiar crystal, which Ukyo smashed with the side of her spatula. Winky confirmed that the crystal was no longer giving off the dark trace.

"I wonder why these crystals aren't protected better like with wards or something?", Winky mused.

"This one was protected well enough for me,", Ukyo snorted, "but maybe wards or other magic would interfere with the crystals. You magic types can figure it out I'm sure, if we need to know. However, I'm totally exhausted so let's recall back to the inn and get some rest. We can see the Investigator tomorrow!"

**[Fifth Day, Nektulos Forest]**

The next morning the girls popped to the N'Mar's Ascent Station and after waving at Sergeant Cornelius, they took a griffin to the Bone Lake Station. After descending from the tower there, they asked a guard stationed there where to find Field Investigator Chel Morgan. The guard pointed him out and the girls walked over to him.

"Investigator Morgan?", Ukyo greeted him. "This is Winky Potter and I'm Ukyo Kuonji. We would like to ask you a few questions about disturbances and unusual happenings in Nektulos Forest, if we may. We have already investigated and dealt with Camp Leeot and the area around Nektropos Castle."

"I'm willing to answer some questions if you will answer some of mine." Investigator Morgan replied. "What do you mean dealt with?"

"There was an object in both places that was causing the undead in the area to be more active and more aggressive.", Winky told him. "We destroyed the objects. At Camp Leeot, we destroyed the ghouls that were there. We only destroyed a guardian and a few of the undead around Nektropos Castle. Hopefully, with the object gone, the remaining monsters will be easier to deal with."

"I suppose every bit helps and you probably don't have the weeks or months needed to fully clean out the Castle area.", Investigator Morgan said with a grim face. "I assume you mean beyond the norm for the Forest, not just the run of the mill activity."

"Yes, sir.", Ukyo replied.

"Hmm. The mushroom men have been up to something for the last several months.", Investigator Morgan mused. "They have a shrine down towards the Commonlands and the skeletons in that area seem to have been a bit more active of late. Understand that it is hard to tell because there are undead all over this blasted forest."

"Where is their shrine, sir", Ukyo asked.

"It is on an large island in the river just north of the passage to the Commonlands.", he explained. "You pass over it on your way to the Commonlands Station. It has a large ancient dragon skeleton on it."

"We'll check it out.", Winky said. "Did you have something else you wanted to ask us?"

"Yes. I'm looking for several missing persons and an escaped thief.", he said as he showed them his files. "Have you seen any of these?"

Both girls shook their heads no. Ukyo said, "We will keep an eye out for them and either come see you or send word if we see any of them."

As the girls walked back toward the griffin tower, Winky said, "Pop back to N'Mar's Ascent Station and take the griffin from there?"

"Sounds like a plan!", Ukyo agreed.

Arriving at N'Mar's Ascent and departing quickly for Commonlands Station, they discovered it was due south of the Ascent and a fairly long flight. Towards the end of the flight, they did indeed fly over the island in question before being dropped off at the griffin tower in mid-afternoon. Asking for information from one of the guards at the station, she suggested they travel upstream to where some beavers had dropped some trees making a happenstance bridge to the island. This way, the girls could avoid the very nasty fish in the water. The guard also warned them about the mushroom men again and mentioned the spiders, wolves, and snakes that might attack them.

Winky and Ukyo proceeded north following the road that ran along side the river staying with the road as long as the could see the river. After a while, the road began to pull away from the river and they moved over to follow the river bank. They only had to deal with fighting animals twice, once a spider that only magic would allow to be that size and once a vicious wolf that seem to want them for dinner. They did see a number of beaver, which watched them with suspicious eyes, but they didn't bother them.

The day was drawing to a close when they reached the log 'bridge' the guard had described. Rather than risk the horses footing, they dismissed them and carefully walked across on foot. As they stepped on the island they could see the rib cage of a long dead dragon it the center of the isle. Feeling that their current location was good enough to return to in the morning, the girls recalled back to Qeynos to spend the night again.

**[Sixth Day, Nektulos Forest]**

Upon returning to the island the next morning, the girls decided to proceed under stealth to avoid as many fights as they could. Seeing a camp off to the south, they decided to investigate it as a possible source of information about the island. As they got close, strangely, the recognized the young woman camped there. Ukyo dropped stealth and they approached the woman.

"Kitty Valencia?", Ukyo asked.

"Who wants to know?", the woman countered.

"I'm Ukyo Kuonji and this is Winky Potter.", Ukyo replied. "Investigator Morgan up at Bone Lake asked us to keep an eye out for you. Something about an inheritance due you."

"I don't know what it would be.", Kitty said. "My mother was single and an only child. I never knew my father and I have no siblings.(6)"

"You might want to talk to Investigator Morgan.", Ukyo suggested. "In any case, we will let him know we found you, unless you don't want us to."

"I don't care either way.", Kitty said with a shrug.

"Ok, uh, well, the main reason we came over this way is to ask you about what is happening on this island.", Ukyo said.

"Mostly just the usual stuff. The mushroom men attack anybody that comes near them. Qeynos has a scout camp on the north part of the where they monitor the Forest and watch the Freeport soldiers.", Kitty said.

"How come the mushroom men don't bother you here?", Winky asked.

"I traded for some powder from the Qeynosians that was developed in New Halas to spread around my camp.", Kitty answered. "It keeps them away. Unfortunately, it causes a severe rash if you try to wear it, so away from the camp I have to be cautious."

"Too bad, that would have been useful.", Winky said with a slight frown.

"Is there anything else you can tell us about the mushroom men and their shrine?", Ukyo wanted to know.

"Their shrine is near the middle of the island next to the pond that is under the dragon bones.", Kitty informed them. "Not quite a year ago, their chief shaman brought back an idol from somewhere and they have been even more hostile since. I use to be able to talk to some of their gatherers but since the idol has been here, they attack me on sight."

"Can they see through stealth?", Ukyo queried.

"I don't think so.", Kitty mused. "I don't think they see that well to begin with."

"Winky, how about your trace?", Ukyo said as she turned toward her. "Do you feel anything?"

"Yes, I have since we set foot on the island, but it is obscured somehow.", Winky replied. "The direction I get is toward the center of the island."

Ukyo turned back to Kitty. "Thank you for your help, Kitty. Take care of yourself and it probably wouldn't hurt to talk to Investigator Morgan."

Once again entering stealth, the girls moved toward the center of the island. As Kitty thought, the mushroom people did not seem to be able to see them so they made good progress. At the edge of the pond, they found the village and the shrine.

Creeping up to the shrine, Ukyo noticed a trap and halted Winky. "There is some kind of trigger here!", she said quietly. "I'll see if I can disarm it!"

Carefully, Ukyo began to nervously trace the trigger so she could disable it. However, as she tried the disable techniques she had learned but not used much, she tripped the trigger.

"Oh CRAP!", she hissed as a loud noise came from behind them. Both girls spun around to see the dragon bones pull up from the ground and form an animated skeleton and mushroom men start heading their way.

"I'll try and stall them while you destroy the idol.", Ukyo said urgently.

"NO! There are too many of them.", Winky disagreed. "Stoney can cover for me while I cast Area Effect spells. You get the idol and destroy its base as well, just in case." Stoney moved guard her as she began casting Earthquake.

"I see your point!", Ukyo agreed with a determined look and turned back toward the idol. There were now several mushroom men between her and the idol so her swords began to move like buzz saws, throwing what ever passed for blood in them all over the place. Behind her, Winky had cast Ice Storm and Shattered Earth and sent her elementals to attach the undead dragon. Her Crystal Blast was almost constantly being cast.

"Maybe we abort and bug out!", Ukyo yelled. "Come back with more help!"

"Can't!", Winky yelled back. "Something is blocking us. I tried to pop behind cover and couldn't! I think our only chance is to smash that idol!" She levitated several mushroom men and banished them at the dragon which distracted it a bit. She used the time to refresh her elementals and cast Earthquake again. She blocked a strike from a mushroom man with her dagger and then used it to gut him. She also healed Stoney so he could stay in the fight as she would not have time to re-summon him.

"Well, if that don't take the cake!", Ukyo grumbled as she dispatched a shaman in front of her and parried a strike from the side as she moved forward, spinning with her blades and kicking opponents back.

As she approached the idol, she dropped her swords, which automatically returned to their sheaths, and drew her battle spatula. Using the flat of the blade, she stuck the idol, shattering it into thousands of pieces. "That's different!", she thought. "Usually, the crystals powder to dust!"

"What ever you did stunned some of them!", Winky shouted. "The dragon is still coming, though!"

Ukyo had to fight off what appeared to be a berserker before she could take another swing at the idol's base. Just as she swung, she had to dodge another attack from the side and missed. After removing that attackers head, she swung again and hit it solidly, powdering it to dust.

"I've got some good news and some bad news!", Winky called. "The good news is that the dragon collapsed. The bad news is that the mushroom men are really, really mad."

"I'm going to try to Escape us out of here!", Ukyo called back as she ran toward Winky to get her inside her rescue zone. "Hang on!", she screamed as she executed the technique.

The girls disappeared from the mushroom camp and reappeared at the end of the bridge to the Commonlands.

"Whew! That was closer than I like it!", Ukyo breathed. "I guess the base was the crystal and destroying it removed the block on us porting."

"I agree with both statements!", Winky huffed. "Let's rest here for a few minutes and recall home." She drained a healing potion.

"When did the Tent become home?", Ukyo asked after downing a potion of her own.

"Since I started living there with Harry!", Winky said with a smile.

"I guess I understand that, sugar.", Ukyo smiled back. "I feel the same way about Ranma!"

After resting for a while, Ukyo asked, "Do we have any more place to check out in Nektulos Forest?"

"Not that I'm aware of and I haven't sensed anything else as we traveled about.", Winky replied. "I could be too far away or it could be blocked and we haven't been in the east or southeast parts of the Forest but we have no other leads to follow."

"We may want to come back to hunt for Daisy if we need money sometime, but for now let's go home!"

With that, they recalled home.

**TBC**

**Updated:** August 21, 2013 (Minor changes to AN section)

Footnotes:

(1) Since she was and is bound to Harry, Winky will use his surname.

(2) As a Conjuror, Winky has three long duration pets that she can summon but only one at a time. They are the Earthen Avatar (fighter), Fiery Magician (mage), and Aery Hunter (scout). She has named them Stoney, Smoky, and Breezy, respectively. She also has two short duration pets which can be called during a battle even it her regular pet is present. One is a water elemental that takes the form of a school of fish composed of water and the other is a fire elemental that takes the form of a blob of fire. Neither of these are named. She normally has Stoney with her when on a mission.

(3) Winky could pop them point to point based on what she can see but it would soon tire her out. Also, sight lines are limited because of curves in the road and the terrain.

(4) Mevraneth does exist in game at about this location but I've taken some liberties with him/her/it. Wait, I'm taking liberties with the whole game so never mind.

(5) This is not her original spatula. This is a reinforced version that she can use like an axe, like a broad spear, or, by striking with the side, a mace so it is either a slashing weapon, a piercing weapon, or a crushing weapon depending on how it is used. The reason she doesn't use it all the time anymore is that her twin swords do damage faster. On another note, her famous throwing mini spatulas are a form of shuriken and since she is a Weaponsmith, she has recreated them for use in Norrath.

(6) In game, this is not true. She has a half sister but because her father was forced to leave her mother, she is very bitter about life. Her sister is the one searching for her to give her her share of their fathers estate.


	8. Two Ladies handle Qeynos

**Disclaimer: **See first chapter.

**AN:  
**

This is the third of five chapters that all take place during the same time frame. Locations, some characters, and some situations in this chapter are drawn from the Everquest II game. The dialog is not from the game, however. This chapter contains some scenes that although not graphic, are what some people may find morally objectionable. If anyone feels the rating should be bumped up, please let me know. This update took so long because I got distracted playing Everquest II and reading fanf...No wait, I was doing research, that's right. I was doing research! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

**Beta:  
**

Me, Myself, and I still. There are bound to be mistakes, especially dropped final letters and suffixes. If you spot plot holes or other mistakes, feel free to let me know.

**[First Day, Qeynos]  
**

The first thing that drew the eye of Luna and Kasumi as they appeared next to the world bell in Qeynos Harbor was the castle that dominated the skyline of the city. It stood far taller than any of the other buildings they could see despite the fact that it was obviously some distance away. Dragging their eyes down to look at the harbor, they saw a tavern on the left as they faced the castle and a shipyard on the right. A wall with two archways separated the dock area from the city proper.

Leaving the dock area, they stepped onto a wide street where they discovered a statue of Queen Antonia Bayle giving a short speech. They both thought was amazing even though Luna was used to magic. To the left as they entered, there were open air vendor stalls along the street as it curved out of sight. In the other direction, there were a few open air vendors but more substantial shops as well. Directly in front of them was a large round building with no entrances visible on their side.

After talking to a city guard about possible places to stay, they toward the substantial shops and the section of Qeynos referred to as South Qeynos. Shortly after they crossed a bridge over a canal, they passed what appeared to be a hiring hall for mercenaries. Passing through the gate into South Qeynos, they saw what look like mansions on the right and a tower surrounded by a small moat with a small park in front on the left. Passing another statue of the Queen, this one non-speaking, they passed through an arch where they found a residential section with homes mixed in with various shops. Following the directions the guard had given them, they began looking for the Lion's Mane Inn and Tavern, which backed up against the canal or moat that surrounded the castle. After a short search, they found the inn in question and went inside.

They approached a woman who they thought might be the innkeeper.

"Excuse me, ma'am", Kasumi greeted the woman. "This is Luna Lovegood and I'm Kasumi Tendo. We were wondering there are rooms available here?"

"Greetings, ladies.", the woman replied. "I'm Feodra Iceslayer and yes, indeed there are room available. We have both the basic and some that are a bit more upscale. What were you looking for?"

"We're pleased to meet you, Miss Iceslayer.", Kasumi said. "We are just in need of the basic room for now."

"Well, the closest one is up the stairs to the right, first door you come to.", Feodra told them. "And just call me Feodra. Everybody does. Once you get your room squared away, you can bind on the walkway or down here in the main tavern."

"What do you mean, 'bind'?", Kasumi asked looking slightly confused.

"You've never been taught about binding?", Feodra said amazed. "What were your parents thinking!?"

"We are from a long way from here and I don't think they do binding there.", Luna explained.

"I suppose you don't know the recall spell either?", Feodra huffed.

"No, ma'am.", Kasumi replied.

Feodra reached in her pack and removed a book. "This is how you set your bind point.", she explained to the girls using the book. "Most people set their bind point near where they live for convenience, but it can be changed at any time to anywhere in a city that accepts you. Once you have your bind point set, you can recall back to it from any place on Norrath. This is how you do the recall." She once again used the book to explain the spell.

"Is this just for mages and clerics?", Luna wanted to know.

"No, sweetie, anyone can do it. This is very simple magic! Now why don't you set your bind points here. After you do that, walk to the end of the room and do the recall."

The girls did as they were instructed and ported from across the room back to Feodra's location.

"This is very neat!", Luna exclaimed.

"I'm glad you think so!", Feodra said with a smile. "Just remember that the recall spell takes a while to recharge so you can't do one after another but it will get you have after a long day of adventuring."

"Thank you so very much for showing this to us!", Kasumi said. "I believe it will come in very handy!"

"You are very welcome, sweetie.", Feodra replied. "Now is there anything else I can help you with?"

"If you could tell us where to find a bank, a crafting center, and the nearest world bell, we would be most appreciative!", Kasumi requested.

"The world bell is easy, it is right behind the inn along with a local bell.", Feodra informed them. "To find the bank, turn left as you leave the inn, turn right at the corner, continue until you reach the southwest corner of the next to last block and you will have found the bank. As for crafting, a lot of the shops will let you use their workstations and there are a few in with the bank but for a full crafting center, you will need to go to the Ironforge Exchange in North Qeynos. It is not far from the palace entrance."

"You have been very helpful, Feodra!", Kasumi said.

"I'm glad to answer questions anytime.", Feodra smiled. "I'm usually around and if I'm not, Bella Ward is."

"I guess we will take our leave then.", Kasumi said and smiled. "We will see you later!"

Kasumi and Luna climbed the steps to the door that Feodra had indicated, touched the door, and acquired the room. After confirming that it also recognized Luna as a resident, they entered the 'room', which turned out to be two rooms on the same level. Both rooms were square and the same size with windows overlooking the canal at the back. The entrance room had windows on the left as you entered but they only let in light. On the right was an archway into the second room and built-in bookshelves in the corners.

They decided to set the Tent up in the second room at the corner of the two walls that had no windows or doors with the Tent entry facing toward the archway.

"Kasumi, you should try to activate the Tent since you have magic here.", Luna suggested.

Oh, my! What do I do?", Kasumi asked.

"Touch this rune with your finger and push a little magic into it."

Kasumi touched the rune but nothing happened. "Oh, my!"

"You didn't push any magic, Kasumi. You should try again!"

Kasumi managed to get her finger to glow slightly and touched the rune. Immediately the tent unfolded and took on the form of a small room in the corner.

"You did it!", Luna said. "That could be important later!"

"I did, didn't I!", Kasumi said with a grin. "This will make a good base of operations and with the recall spell, we can slide somewhere if we are needed and recall back here!"

"That is true!", Luna agreed.

Leaving the 'room', the girls set out to explore a bit. They found the world bell down some stairs on a landing in the canal. The bank was were they were told it was and included a broker at the same location. They found shops where they could acquire materials they would need and additional food stuffs. There was even a horse barn with mounts for sale.

They headed into North Qeynos where upon entering the area, Luna suddenly turned left and rode over to a grate near the intersection of the wall and the canal.

"What is the matter, Luna?"

"There is something down there we need to deal with, Kasumi. We should start early tomorrow morning."

"In the sewers?"

"The storm sewers lead to catacombs which is where we need to investigate."

"How do you know this?"

"It is something I feel."

"Very well, we will investigate tomorrow morning."

The girls continued their exploration of North Qeynos, passing what appeared to be a church but which they were informed was a guild hall. There were several parks, a monument shaped like a sword, a small bandstand, the entrance to the palace, and another bank location. They found the Ironforge Exchange, the Ironforge Estate, and the Temple of Life when they decided to go back to the Tent to brew more potions in case they were needed.

That evening, Ukyo contacted Kasumi to check on the location of a world bell. After confirming that there was one near the inn, Ukyo and Winky then slid to Kasumi and Luna. After explaining the bind and recall spells to them and telling them where to find the bell, they sat down to dinner with Ukyo and Winky telling of their adventures so far.

Luna and Winky spent the night in Harry's bed; Kasumi and Ukyo slept in Ranma's.(1)

**[Second Day, Qeynos]**

The next morning found Luna and Kasumi standing at the drain that Luna had pointed out the previous day.

"Oh my! Do we really want to do this?", Kasumi asked wrinkling her nose slightly.

"Want to, no. Need to, yes!", Luna replied.

"Well, at least I'm not wearing a dress!", Kasumi thought as they opened the grating and began to climb the ladder down into the dark.

Luna cast Light so they could see in the storm sewer and they followed it to where it joined several other drains in a small torchlit square room. The water flowing into the room drained out a grate in the floor. Two passages, other than drains, led out of the room, one to the north and the other to the west. The room was infested with rats the size of small collie dogs that began to move toward the girls.

"That is strange!", Luna observed as Snowball tore into the rats. "Normally rats will flee unless cornered and we do not have these trapped." She cast Wrath followed by Velium Winds.

"I don't think these are normal rats, Luna!", Kasumi said as she also cast Wrath and followed with Dawnstrike and Icefall. Both girls were dealing crushing blows between spells and the rats didn't last long with Snowball ripping the throat out of the last one.

"Rats were never a favorite of mine.", Luna commented. "I suspect that rats are not all we will encounter down here, though. We need to go that way for our first objective." She pointed to the west passage.

The hallway quickly turned to the south. The floor was covered by rubble in spots but there were torches along the way that provided light to see by.

"I wonder if these torches are magic or somebody maintains them.", Luna mused.

After a while the passage turned to the northwest and the girls ran into a nest of vicious snakes. While destroying the vipers, both girls received poisonous bites, but being clerics, easily cured the poison themselves. A short distance later, they were attacked by very loud, large bats that came out of a side crypt. The three bats took turns charging at them, attempting to bite and claw them to death. Snowball had problems because she had to leap to reach them so Luna and Kasumi cast their combat spells and crushed skulls with their weapons.

A bit further up the hall, they discovered a side passage leading to the northeast but Luna had them stay in the passage they were in. They did encounter an occasional rat, snake, or bat that had to be killed but no further groups of animals.

Soon, they spotted a Ratonga(2) that appeared to be standing guard at a three way intersection in the passage. Since he appeared to be outlined in red and hadn't noticed them yet, the girls stopped in the shadows to confer. They decided to send Snowball to attack him so that they would have time and distance if he had any friends close by.

It was a good thing that the girls took this approach because the lookout was quickly joined by two other guards dressed identically in what to be uniforms. As the three fought Snowball, Luna and Kasumi cast their attack spells and healed Luna's pet as needed. When the first enemy was eliminated, the other two (a human and a gnome) decided to go after the girls directly. With Snowball chasing them, they quickly closed to melee range forcing the girls to switch tactics. While both of them used their weapons, Luna began casting wards while Kasumi continued with her destructive spells. Using this approach, the attacking guards were soon dealt with.

"The Bloodsabres will avenge us!", the human gasped with her last breath.

"I guess that means we need to keep a sharp eye out for more of these ruffians.", Kasumi commented.

"I agree that would be a wise move.", Luna replied.

With that, the girls moved cautiously to where the assumed to be Bloodsabre guard had been standing. The northern passage of the intersection opened into a large cross shaped room with the three other arms of the room recessed and out of sight. In the center of the room was a small statue surrounded by four uniformed people of various races. There were no other people in sight but the girls couldn't see into the arms of the room.

"We need to destroy that statue!", Luna said quietly. "It contains a piece of the dark crystal like that we have found before!"

"We need to be as quiet as possible!", Kasumi replied just as quietly. "We don't any of their friends to hear and come to their aid!"

"Since they do not seem to be talking among themselves, I will use my wand to cast Silence on each of them.", Luna stated. "I will follow that with my area effect root and then do Body Bind on them with the wand. Assuming I get all that done, we can just walk over and bash the statue."

"That seems to be a sound plan.", Kasumi said thoughtfully. "Why didn't you use that approach on the guards we just fought?"

"I could not see the first guard's friends so I could not be sure of hitting them before they got to us.", Luna replied.

"Ok, then proceed with your plan!"

Luna's plan went off without a problem and the girls destroyed the statue. After confirming that the dark crystal was powdered and no longer effective, Luna turn to Kasumi and said, "We need to take care of these evil people before we leave!"

"What do we do with them?", Kasumi asked.

"As bad as it seems, I think we need to go ahead and kill them!"

"Oh, my! Are you sure? After all, they are helpless at the moment!"

"Kasumi, in the war that we just barely won when Harry killed Voldemort, we found that people we stunned and captured were often set free to kill and destroy again and again. This world is worse in that there is only law within the cities. We could turn them over to the Qeynos Guard but I feel they would not be able to hold them long even if we could get them there and they would soon be free to do more evil! Unfortunately, on Norrath we will often be required to be judge, jury, and executioner! It may not seem honorable but it is better than letting them continue their evil!"

"I guess I have to agree with you but I don't like it!"

"I would be afraid for your soul if you did but it must be done! I can at least make it quick!" With that, Luna beheaded each of the captives with Cutting Curse.

"_Kasumi, I picked up your distress! What is the matter?_", Ranma's mind voice broke into her thoughts.

"_We just killed some captives so they couldn't hurt anyone else!_", Kasumi replied, shaken. She filled him in on what had occurred.

"_I know it is hard and it is not something I like but I agree with Luna._", Ranma said with a warm but sad feeling. "_Calm yourself and if you and Luna can meditate for a few minutes it would be good._"

"_It will probably not be possible at the moment as we are in a hostile area but maybe when we get back to the Tent._", Kasumi informed him. "_Thank you for caring!_"

"_Your welcome, my Love!_", Ranma returned. "_Be very careful and I hope to see you soon!_"

"Ranma agreed with you, Luna, though he doesn't like the situation either. He suggested we meditate about it when we can do so safely."

"I do not think any of us like having to do that type of action but sometimes we have little choice! We need to look around this room as there is something here we need! Keep an eye out for more Bloodsabres so **we** do not get surprised like we did to this group!"

As they searched the room, the girls encountered three more small groups of Bloodsabres which they dispatched without much trouble although not as easily as the group of four. Eventually, in the northeast corner of the northern arm of the large room, Kasumi found what Luna was looking for. It was a set of maps showing the current level of the catacombs and the levels below them.

"Now that we have the maps, there is one more thing we have to do on this level today.", Luna told Kasumi.

"What is that?"

"We have to destroy a fallen Prince."

After making that declaration, Luna lead Kasumi back to the room where they entered the catacombs and proceeded through the north passage. Luna's choices at intersections always were for the right tunnel. As they traveled, they again had to deal with the occasional rat, bat, or snake along with some things that looked like mobile sludge and more than a few skeletons. None of the encounters were particularly difficult but the girls were becoming tired. Finally Luna called a halt just before they were to enter a large room.

"We need to rest a little before we go in there. It is likely to be a big fight.", she said as she handed Kasumi a Pepper Up potion. "We should probably eat something as well." She drank a potion of her own.

Kasumi nodded and downed the potion. As steam came out of her ears, she removed sandwiches and a thermos of tea from her pack and gave some of both to Luna. The girls settled back against the wall while Snowball stood guard.

"I feel like we have been in battle for days!", Kasumi sighed.

"I feel that way as well.", Luna agreed. "We should be done for the day after we deal with this monster, if nothing else pops up. Although, you know what Ranma says about looking forward to the end of a battle—do it after the battle is over."

Kasumi smirked at her. "Well, let's dispatch this dastardly prince and get out of here!"

As they entered the room, the girls were beset by roughly a dozen skeletons but since they were slow moving, Luna had time to cast Flame Whip while Kasumi cast her Norrath spells. Both girls spells were very effective against the skeletons and they were soon destroyed. After they cleared the room, they entered another room through a door across from the one they entered.

The second room had half a dozen or so slightly larger than normal skeletons, one of which wore a crown. The skeletons began to move toward the girls and a few began to cast spells. Luna cast her AE root on the crowned one and managed to trap him and three others but the rest were unaffected. Kasumi also cast her root spell, Willow Wisp, which snared the rest and interrupted the casters. Luna then cast Body Bind on the Prince with no affect. She then cast it on one of the other skeletons with the same result.

"Uh oh! Apparently Body Bind doesn't work on skeletons!", she huffed. Looks like we have to do this the hard way! Concentrate on the one with the crown. I will have Snowball stay with us to protect us in case root breaks for some of the bone piles!

Kasumi nodded her head in agreement and cast Dawnstrike, Icefall, and Wrath in quick succession. Luna cast Flame Spear followed by Flame Whip. While these attacks severely damaged the Prince, he was not yet down. One of the companion skeletons broke root and Snowball intercepted it. Kasumi cast her spells again while Luna tried the Cutting Curse. Luna's spell barely did any damage so she tried Bludgeon followed by Blasting. Bludgeon destroyed him finally and the Blasting curse hit the wall behind him. Kasumi switched to helping Snowball while Luna gave her (Snowball) a quick heal. She then began using Bludgeon on each skeleton as Kasumi continued with her assault. After a few minutes, all the skeletons were bone shards.

"Well, it seems that Bludgeon works better than fire spells on these animated bones.", Luna commented. "I seem to recall a book on skeletons in the library. Maybe it will explain why that is."

"Maybe we should research some of the other creatures we may run into down here if we will be coming back.", Kasumi suggested.

"I would think we should research vampires, ghosts, ghouls, and other undead since our mission seems to bring us into contact with them frequently.", Luna said. "Since these are catacombs, we are even more likely to encounter some of them down here."

"Oh, my! Well, I suppose you are right. However, now I could use a nice soak in the spa followed by a quiet dinner."

"I could as well. I wonder if Winky and Ukyo are there yet?"

"Let's recall and see!" And so they did.

**[Third Day, Qeynos]**

The next morning, after seeing Ukyo and Winky off for the day, Kasumi and Luna spent some time going over the maps they had obtained the previous day. They also spent a little time in the library searching for information but although they did find the book on skeletons there was little information on anything else. The book on skeletons did give them a few titbits such as skeletons are resistant to some spells, are hard to damage with slashing weapons, and are fairly easily destroyed with crushing weapons.

"We need to ask our hostess some questions.", Kasumi said.

With Luna agreeing, the girls went downstairs to the tavern where they found Bella Ward. After introducing themselves, Kasumi asked, "Miss Ward, is there a library or bookstore around where we could do some research?"

"Call me Bella, dear! Yes, the Concordium has a library in their tower and they also have some books for sale there.", the woman replied. "The tower is on your right as you head toward the docks and has a moat surrounding it."

"I believe we saw it the day we arrived so we should be able to find it with no trouble.", Kasumi said. "On another subject, what do you know about 'Bloodsabres'?"

"It's best to stay far away from that thieving bunch of cutthroats. They will kill you as soon as look at you.", Bella said with a shiver. "They are rumored to practice some foul rites and rituals. They are also known to seek to destroy Qeynos!"

"We did encounter a few of them yesterday but managed to defend ourselves.", Kasumi told her.

"I hope you killed them!", Bella said with a grimace. "The city guard tries but they can't be everywhere. Those evil bastards pop up out of nowhere and grab some poor soul off the street who is never seen alive again. I've lost several friends that way!"

"We will be extra careful if we run into them again, Bella.", Kasumi said in a calming tone. "Thank you very much for the directions to the library and the information!"

After taking their leave, the girls followed Bella directions and were soon at the Concordium Tower where they discovered the joys of teleporters instead of steps. After asking around, they found a helpful librarian who showed the books they were looking for and showed them where to buy copies. After buying the books they felt they needed, they returned to the inn where they spent the rest of the morning doing research on undead monsters.

After eating lunch, Luna cocked her head and said, "We need to go visit the palace steps. Something is going to happen there that we need to know about!"

"Alright, Luna. We can pick up some supplies at the Ironforge Exchange while we are over there. Plus, it beats wandering around catacombs."

As the girls entered North Qeynos, a bell began to toll. People on the street looked up and many of them began to move toward the castle. By the time Kasumi and Luna reached the front of the castle, a fair sized crowd had gathered. The girls could hear many of them wondering what the summons was for.

Soon, guards came out of the castle and took up a protective formation. The guards were not dressed as palace guards nor as regular Qeynos guards but appeared to be from a militia. After they formed up, a regally dressed man came out of the castle and proceeded down the steps to the lowest landing surrounded by the guards .

One of the militia guards stepped forward and announced in a loud voice, "**His lordship, Kyle Antihilius Bayle will now speak to the public!**"

The man now identified as Kyle Bayle stepped forward and began to speak.

**"Citizens! The might of the Bayle line guides me! "In the dark times we see ahead, only I can bring you triumphs as my ancestors did. "My knowledge of the foul pretenders, our enemies Lucan D`Lere and Drinal, is needed for us to prevail."  
**

**"It is not luck that I have returned now, the firstborn son of Antonius Bayle III, to take my rightful place on the throne. I laid down my life to be reborn to serve and save you from ruin. I suffer in this immortal form for you willingly, my fellow people of Qeynos. I've come to lead you out of the darkness and into the light of victory."  
**

**"You are soft in the hands of Antonia. Discipline is weak amongst you. Uniting with the scourge of Freeport is unforgivable. We must fortify our walls and protect who and what we are. No more will your pride be tarnished by an alignment with evil."  
**

**"With the throne, I vow to strengthen you as I have so many others. You will become unshakeable and undefeated as all Bayles before me."  
**

**"No compromise."  
**

**"No failure."  
**

**"Only victory and dominion over Norrath."  
**

Someone in the crowd shouted, "**Look! It is Queen Antonia Bayle!**"

A young woman with a regal bearing glided down the steps to stand in front of Kyle Bayle. The Queen waved to the crowd and then addressed them in a clear voice.

**"I did not know you had such wavering confidence in my leadership, Kyle Antihilus Bayle. As rightful queen, I have something to enlighten the good citizens of Qeynos as well."  
**

**"My most gracious citizens."  
**

**"We are not weakened nor compromised in our endeavors."  
**

**"In my time as Queen, we have overcome great threats and tyranny to find ourselves in an era of unity and prosperity. All of us, here and abroad, wish to live free! And our combined power has seen us triumph time and again."  
**

**"I implore you all to keep your aim true on the righteous path. Our power is in this united purpose. Do not be lured astray by the false promises of Kyle Bayle and his kind. If his heart was with the people he would share his knowledge, not use it as a threat to deliver my throne to him!"  
**

**"And I am flesh and blood. Kyle, in his now-immortal form, is nothing but a shade from our city's past... from my family's past. "We are the ones whose blood will spill. Not his. He bears no sacrifice or suffering."  
**

**"Our past is proven! Do not be swayed! Divided we splinter, grow brittle and crumble."  
**

**"Together, we are stronger than the heart of the Ironwood tree."  
**

**"Together, we are the unshakable might and will of the entire forest."  
**

**"We shall see, false Queen."**, Lord Bayle said with a sneer.

He turned and returned to the castle surrounded by his guards. The Queen watched him go and then turned back to the crowd speaks again.

**"Remember ... all things shall pass."  
**

**"Only time will tell if we are destined to prevail."**(3)

She then waved to the crowd and returned to the castle.

After the speeches, Luna looked contemplative for a minute.

"That person was a lich.", she said with a frown.

"Who? The Queen?!", Kasumi asked, startled.

"No, Lord Bayle.", Luna replied.

"What is a lich?", Kasumi wanted to know.

"A lich is someone who had a spell cast on them to bind his or her intellect and soul to his or her animated corpse to gain a form of immortality.", Luna explained. "It is a necromancer spell and very evil."

"Obviously, the Queen doesn't care for him so he must have backers. I would bet that some of them would prefer a King, even an evil one, over a Queen, even a good, competent one.", Kasumi mused with a frown. "I was impressed by the young Queen. I hope she can stand against him!"

"Come on! Let us get the supplies you wanted and return to the Tent to study!", Luna urged. "We need to add liches to our research and we just happened to obtain a book on the subject."

"Oh, my. We just happened to?", Kasumi giggled.

The girls finished their errands and returned home to prepare for their excursion the next day to the lower catacombs. Winky and Ukyo found them still in the library that evening.

**[Fourth Day, Qeynos]**

As the four girls were getting ready for breakfast and to start the day, Daphne and Nabiki contacted them to ask about the world bell. After being assured there was one close by, the girls working in the Butcherblock Mountains slid to them. Hugs occurred all around and all six girls spent the meal (breakfast for some, dinner for the others) bringing each other up to speed on their adventures. When the meal was over, Ukyo and Winky returned to Nektulos Forest while Nabiki and Daphne, after learning the binding and recall spells, went for a soak before getting some sleep in a bed.

Luna suggested they take extra food, sleeping bags, and a bearskin tent with them, just in case. According to the maps they had, to get to the lowest level, they would have to travel through some areas controlled by the Bloodsabres so if they didn't finish up in one day, it would be best to stay overnight. Both girls shuddered at that thought but they were determined.

Leaving the inn, Luna paused and said, "We are going to need help for this!"

"Should we ask someone to slid here to help us?", Kasumi asked.

"No, they have their own missions and we can get temporary help at the harbor.", Luna answered. "Follow me."

Fairly soon, they reached a tavern not far from the docks where mercenaries hung out waiting for a job. Luna looked around as they entered until she saw a halfling woman chatting with the other patrons. Luna approached her and said, "Excuse me miss, but are you available for hire?"

"I am if you are looking for a troubadour.", the woman replied. "I'm Bildi, Bildi Pieflinger, by the bye."

"I am Luna Lovegood and this is my friend, Kasumi Tendo.", Luna told her. "We are looking for someone to help us do a task that will probably involve fighting undead, Bloodsabres, and assorted other nasties. Would you be willing to help?"

"Aye, if you can meet my price.", Bildi said. After a few minutes discussing fees and costs, the three reached an agreement. Luna handed over her hiring fee and Bildi handed her a token.(4)

"This token allows me to find you if you decide you don't need me for a while and then need me later.", Bildi explained. "Just activated the token and if I'm not in the middle of something, I will port to the token. If I don't respond, activate it again and one of my buddies will show up."

"Will we need to pay the hiring fee again?", Kasumi asked.

"Nay, the hiring fee is to cover the token.", Bildi replied. "You just have to cover my hourly rate."

"Oh, that is good.", Kasumi said.

"Let me get outfitted and I'll be right with you.", Bildi said as she headed upstairs. Within minutes, she was back dressed in chainmail and with her weapons. "Let's get started! Times a wasting!"

Entering the storm sewers through the drain near the docks, the girls soon found themselves back in the same square room they had entered before. After blasting a few rats and discovering that Bildi seemed to be a buzz saw with her blades, they crossed to the northwestern corner and entered the drain there. The drain lead them to a circular cistern with steps leading out of it to a ramp that connected two passageways. Strangely, there were people on the landing for the steps and at the entrances to the tunnels but since they weren't hostile, the girls just greeted them as they exited into the north passage.

"There are two entrances to the level below us.", Luna stated. "The closest one and the shortest path to the other one is this way but the map shows we will have to go through an area controlled by Bloodsabres for either one. If I read the map correctly, the closest one gets us nearest to where we need to be on the level below.

"So that is the one we should use.", Kasumi said.

They followed the passage north, occasionally having to kill a rat, bat, or other creature or destroy a skeleton or two. After one of these brief battles, Kasumi turned to Bildi and said, "Bildi, how do you play music and fight at the same time? "You don't seem to use an instrument."

"Aye, 'tis a skill all bards have.", Bildi replied. "We are not called spellsingers for nothing. We can take several magical tunes that have different effects and blend them together so that they sound like one and don't give everybody headaches. Unless of course, you are the target of one of the attack songs. We even do it while speaking to keep the effects from fading."

"So no instrument then?", Kasumi queried.

"Not unless I'm performing for entertainment. I doubt my lyre would fair very well in a sword fight. I have it with me, though. You never know when you'll get a chance to work on a new ballad.", Bildi replied with a grin.

The passage curved to the east and the girls began to encounter to encounter Bloodsabres in ones and two. For the most part, these were simple thugs and were easily dealt with. Occasionally, one would be a caster of some sort which might have been more dangerous if they had had time to get a spell off.

A final pair seemed to be guarding a room the girls were approaching. Luna used her wand to disillusion the trio and they kept to the side of the passage so as to not make splashes in the water that ran down the center of it. Creeping past the guards, they entered a square room where a Bloodsabre was performing a ritual while surrounded by a dozen cutthroats. Luna tugged her companions over to a unoccupied corner behind some crates.

"We need to stop this ritual", she said quietly. "It would be bad for Qeynos if it is completed. Kasumi, you and I need to cast our roots to ensnare as many as possible. Bildi, you target the ritualist first then whoever comes to hand. Kasumi, keep Bildi healed and assist her as you can. I will do the same and take care of the door guards if they join the fight. On three. One..two...THREE"

As the spells and arrows began to fly, one of the Bloodsabres yelled, "Zerak! We are under attack!"

"I can see that you numbskull!", the ritualist sneered. "Grind them to a paste for daring to interfere with Bloodsabre business!" He began casting a spell just as one of Bildi's arrows took him in the throat, causing him to die with a gurgle.

The door guards heard the fight and ran to assist their fellows. Luna sent Snowball to stall them until she could cast her spells. Bildi did her buzz saw impression on the rooted scoundrels. Kasumi cast her offensive spells to aid Bildi as she seemed to move too fast for the Bloodsabres to hit. A couple of Bloodsabres joined the fray from the passage across from the one the girls entered from and were quickly rooted by Kasumi. With in a few minutes, it was all over.

Luna searched the ritualist and his minions. She found several papers that she pocketed as well as a handful of coin and a couple of charmed items which she handed to Kasumi. She then vanished the bodies with her wand.

"Hopefully these papers will tell us something about what is going on.", she explained. "Also, not having any bodies may spook them a bit." She thought for a second and said, "Well considering where we are, maybe not. We need to head east from here."

The east passage contained a handful of the low level Bloodsabres which posed no problems for the three. Following the tunnel through a shallow 'S' curve, they came to yet another square room containing a small group of the cult group. Using the same tactics they had employed earlier, the cutthroats were quickly dispatched. They found the entrance to the lower level in the southeast corner and descended to that level where they found themselves in another cistern.

"Careful, there are Bloodsabres at the top of the steps!", Bildi said in a low voice. "And up the ramp a bit, there are some skeletons, if my senses are not fooling me."

"So, hit them like we did the last group?", Kasumi queried.

"Aye, works for me!", Bildi said. "But you lassies are the bosses."

"Let us go with that.", Luna agreed. "According to the map, we need to use the tunnel opening to the west so they are in the way, anyway."

Quickly wiping the Bloodsabres out, they were able to pick the skeletons off one at a time and reach the west bound passage fairly easily. The trio entered it cautiously with Bildi using her scout abilities to try and detect problems before they walked into them. Fortunately, all they encountered were single monsters but they did wonder what minotaurs were doing so far underground. The tunnel curved to the north and 'T'd into an east-west passage. The map directed them to follow the east path which snaked around until it at last headed north into another square room, this one with a circular platform in the center. The space was infested with skeletons with one in particular giving off a strong evil aura.

"I am going to cast my area root, then switch to Bludgeon and Blast.", Luna instructed them. "Kasumi, you hold back and provide cover. Target anything that gets too close. Snowball will help cover me. Bildi, do what you can to take them out fast."

The two nodded their understanding and Luna began the attack. After about ten minutes of constant battle, the skeletons were finally in small pieces and the group slumped to the floor.

"Thanks to you, Kasumi, for the timely heals.", Bildi said tiredly. "That big 'un almost had me."

"No thanks are necessary.", Kasumi returned with a tired smile. "That is what I'm here for, after all."

"Let us rest for a while and eat something.", Luna suggested as she handed out Pepper Up potions. "Bildi, this should help with the fatigue."

"Now that has a kick to it, lassie!", Bildi commented after downing hers. "Feels like I'm ready to go!"

"You probably could but it is best to have something to eat as well.", Luna told her.

After a small meal and a rest, they cleared out two more rooms that had basically the same setup, only the number and type of skeletons varying a bit.

At the third room, Luna took out the map and looked at it for a minute. "If we go west from here, there is another room that is probably full of these animated bones. If we go north and stay out of sight of the other room, we are closer to out goal with out the fight, so unless someone just wants to do battle, north it is."

"Well, it's not like we are trying to earn experience points like some of those games Akane like to play", Kasumi said. "Plus, it is getting late and I for one do **not** want to spend the night down here or have to come back."

"So keep going until we are done and recall out?", Luna asked. "What about you, Bildi. Are you up for it?"

"You lassies are footing the bill so what ever you want to do.", Bildi replied. "I would note that there are Bloodsabres to the north and slightly west."

Letting Winky and Ukyo know they would be late getting back to the inn, the group followed the narrow north passage until it joined a wider tunnel that ended at an east-west hallway. Turning west, they began to run into isolated Bloodsabres at a north-south hall. They once again headed north and spotted several guards in the now familiar uniform.

"They are guarding what we are here to destroy!", Luna said.

"Let me handle the guards!", Bildi said. "If I need help, it will be obvious!" She then vanished into stealth.

Soon, the guard at the rear collapsed and Bildi appeared briefly. The process repeated until two were left. As Bildi dispatched one of them, the other caught sight of her and turned opening his mouth just as Luna hit him with a Body Bind. A flick of Bildi wrist and the guard didn't have any more worries about moving.

"There is some kind of ritual going on in there.", Bildi said as Luna and Kasumi joined her. "Looks like a fair number of mages around some kind of statue."

"Too bad I do not know any wide area silence spells.", Luna mused.

"My root spell has stun and interrupt effects.", Kasumi said. "Perhaps that will be enough."

"It will have to do.", Luna said. "Bildi, as soon as Kasumi casts her root, go after any that do not get snared by the spell. I will send Snowball to help you. I will also attempt to destroy the statue from here. Kasumi, help Bildi and Snowball. Cast your root again if you need to. Whenever you are ready, Kasumi!"

It took Luna three shots with the Blasting spell to smash the statue and by that time more than half the mages were down as well. With Luna joining her companions in attacking them, they were soon sent to their eternal reward. After Luna Vanished the bodies, she turned to the others.

"Well, we did what we came to do. Thank you very much for you help, Bildi. Before we recall back, we should settle up. How much do we owe you?"

Bildi quoted a sum and Kasumi handed over the coins. "It has been nice working for you lassies. Remember, as long as you have the token, you can call on me anytime. If you lose the token, you will have to pay the initial fee again to get another one. I hope to see you around!" With that Bildi recalled back.

"Our turn to get out of here!", Kasumi said. "I'm ready for a shower, some food, and bed!"

"Me, too!"

With that the girls recalled back to the inn.

**[Fifth Day, Qeynos]**

The next morning, Kasumi and Luna managed to get up in time to join Ukyo and Winky for breakfast. After the two girls returned to Nektulos Forest, the remaining two decided to visit the Concordium Tower for some more research material. They then spent the rest of the morning doing more research on undead monsters, especially liches, and on Kyle Bayle.

After a quick lunch, Kasumi decided she wanted to gather some materials to use in crafting. Luna agreed to join her and after asking Bella for advice on locations and directions, the girls set off for Oakmyst Forest which was on the local bell network.

Oakmyst Forest was a part of the island on which Qeynos was built and was left mostly in its natural state. It was used by the citizens of Qeynos as a place to gather materials for their crafts, do research on the animals there, and as a place enjoy an afternoon. The Qeynos kept a presence there because the animals were wild and they occasionally had problems with poachers. As the girls entered the forest from the docks tunnel, a guard named Madeline told them to be careful around the bears, to watch out for poachers as some had been active recently, and warned them that some of the normally peaceful Dryads were acting strange and very hostile. The girls thanked her for the warning and began their harvesting.

Kasumi carefully searched for the food stuffs, fibers, and wood she needed Luna decided to try a different approach and began to 'Summon ore'. She had to jump out of the way when a large number of ore and gem bearing rocks converged rapidly on her position. It took her several minutes to store it all in her pack. She then repeated the spell but concentrated on having the ore arrive at a safer pace.

After about an hour, a gnome man approached them.

"Good afternoon, ladies.", the man greeted them. "I'm Steward Tredo, one of the people tasked with preserving Oakmyst Forest."

"It's nice to meet you, Steward.", Kasumi said. "I'm Kasumi and this is Luna. What can we do for you?"

"The Empress of the Dryads sent me to ask if you would meet with her.", Steward Tredo explained. "She has a problem she would like to ask your help with."

"I don't see why not.", Kasumi said as she looked a Luna, who nodded. "When would she like to see us?"

"Now, if that wouldn't be a problem.", the Steward replied.

"Oh, my! She must be in a hurry!", Kasumi exclaimed. "Very well, lead the way, if you would."

The Steward lead them to where the Empress and her court were gathered and introduced them to Empress Anassa. The girls bowed(5) and Kasumi spoke. "How may we help you, Your Majesty?"

"Our scouts have observed you in the forest and you seem to be very powerful.", the Empress informed them. "Of late, our sisters have been corrupted so that they attack all who come near them and they do damage to the forest which we are to protect. We believe that sickness originates in a cave not far from here but all that we have sent to investigate have been corrupted and not returned. It is our hope that powerful adventurers such as yourselves will be able to destroy the cause of this madness and release our sisters."

"Does the sickness affect anything other than your sisters?", Luna asked. "For example, are the deer or bears affected?"

"We have not had such reported to us so we believe that only our sisters are sickened.", the Empress replied.

"If we have to hurt some of the infected sisters, will that be a problem?", Luna wanted to know.

"While it saddens us, we have had to kill several of the infected ones so you may have to as well.", the Empress said with sorrow. "If this problem is not resolved quickly, there will be now one left to save!"

"Then we will get to work at once!", Kasumi said. "By your leave, Your Majesty."

As they left, Steward Tredo gave them instructions on how to find the cave in question. In a short while, the girls were at the bottom of the trail that lead to the cave. Unfortunately, the path was blocked by three dryads that they could feel the evil pouring off of. Hoping they would be able to cure them later, Kasumi cast her root spell and Luna put them in body binds. They then followed the path up the hill.

At the top of the hill they found spiders, LARGE spiders that seemed to think the girls were their next meal. After a battle that lasted a few minutes, the girls were able to dispose of the arachnids and enter the cave. The two guards just inside the cave were subdued and they proceeded into the cave. In a room that opened out from the entrance tunnel, they found a dark elf casting a Charm on a dryad. She saw them come in and laughed.

"So someone dares enter the lair of N'Almia the Corrupter. Well entering is one thing, leaving as your own self is another." With that she cast a Charm spell at Luna which Luna resisted. Kasumi hit her with a Dawnstrike followed by Wrath while Snowball went for the dark elf's throat. Luna used her wand to cast a Bludgeon spell which allowed Snowball to finish her off.

"She was not as strong as she thought she was.", Luna commented. "She is obviously the one responsible for the corrupted dryads."

"Yes, I agree!", Kasumi stated. "But you need to look at this stone!. It is not the same as the dark crystals we have been destroying but it still feels evil!"

Luna walked over to the stone. "I agree. Let me check something!" She walked down the passage to where the subdued guards were and returned. "I think this stone was or is reinforcing the control that N'Almia had over the dryads. It would be best to destroy it."

Using their weapons and Luna's Blasting spell, the girls broke it into pieces and the pieces into powder. It took a while as the stone didn't conveniently fall to powder like the crystals did. After it was all power, Luna Vanished it with her wand.

The girls returned to the guards to find them awake, confused, and no longer corrupted. After releasing them and the dryads at the bottom of the trail, they returned to the Empress who was very happy and generous. Deciding to call it a day, they recalled back to the inn.

**[Sixth Day, Qeynos]**

After breakfast with Winky and Ukyo, Kasumi went to work on preparing potions while Luna went to the Library to do more research. After a couple of hours, Kasumi came rushing into the library and shouted, "Ranma and Harry need us. Grab your equipment and let's go!"

The girls quickly closed up their armor, grabbed their packs and weapons, and slid to the guys.(6)

A few hours after lunch, Kasumi and Luna were still not back when Winky and Ukyo returned. Although the worst of their injuries had been fixed by the potions, they were still a bit battered and bruised, sore, and very tired. They got something to eat, took a shower, and went to soak in the spa.

It was around dinner time when a smiling Kasumi and Luna found Ukyo and Winky napping on a couch. Waking them up, Kasumi and Luna filled them in on what had happened after which Winky and Luna told about the events of their day.

Hermione and Shampoo slid in late that evening. After hugs and a quick shower, they joined the four girls already in the Tent in retiring for the night.

**[Seventh Day, Qeynos]**

The next morning while breakfast preparations were underway, Daphne and Nabiki returned to the tent. After a quick shower, they joined the rest of the girls for breakfast where everybody discussed their adventures. Daphne talked with Hermione and Luna about the need for runes on the teams weapons and both girls agreed that it should be possible.

After the meal, Nabiki and Daphne went to sleep until lunch. Hermione, Luna, and Ukyo began working on how best to add runes to the various weaponry. Kasumi, Winky, and Shampoo discussed the various foes they had encountered and how best to deal with them. After a few hours, Kasumi and Winky went to care for the greenhouse while Shampoo joined the runes discussion to see if they could help armor.

Lunch time rolled around and the girls were wondering what was keeping the guys. The girls could feel that Ranma and Harry were ok and not alarmed so they weren't too worried about them but still wished they were back. Finally, at mid-afternoon, the guys slid in to the Tent looking tired but not too worse for the wear.

The girls promptly gave them a group hug and covered them with kisses before sending them to get showered. It was generally decided the rest of the day and evening was cuddle time and they would take at least the next day off.

**TBC  
**

Footnotes:

(1) No slash going on here. The girls have just gotten used to not sleeping alone.

(2) A rat like humanoid. One of the major races on Norrath.

(3) These two speeches are directly from the game. I finally got one of my characters there with the game logging function on when the scene was played out. The bold text is the direct quotes.

(4) Bildi is an actual mercenary in the game and is used by several of my characters. Her speech patterns and conversation are NOT from the game.

(5) Kasumi and Luna are in armor so bowing is appropriate.

(6) This side trip will be covered in the chapter after next as part of Harry and Ranma's story. I have not written any chapters beyond this one yet but I do have them plotted out. Thinking about it now, I should have probably done the next two chapters before this one since it has links to what is going on in them but what is done, is done.


	9. A Bookworm & an Amazon let the Dogs Out

**Disclaimer: **See first chapter.

**AN:  
**

This is the fourth of five chapters that all take place during the same time frame. Locations, some characters, and some situations in this chapter are drawn from the Everquest II game. The dialog is not from the game, however, unless otherwise noted. If anyone feels the rating should be bumped up, please let me know. This chapter took awhile because I was, um, doing more research. It also borrows the locales and characters from the Splitpaw Saga but not the storyline.

**Beta:  
**

Me, Myself, and I still. There are bound to be mistakes, especially dropped final letters and suffixes. If you spot plot holes or other mistakes, feel free to let me know.

**Created:** August 21, 2013

**[First Day, The Thundering Steppes, Gnoll Problem]  
**

Harry, Ranma, Hermione, and Shampoo arrived on the docks in the Thundering Steppes together. Looking around, they saw a ship loading at the end of the dock, a building of some kind on piers and anchored to a rock that jutted up out of the water. In towards shore, the saw piles of cargo waiting shipment, a couple of what appeared to be shops, and a number of people either working or standing around. The shore seemed to be sand surrounded by rocky slopes except where a canyon opened up directly across from the dock and a trail that followed a smaller canyon to the northwest. The shore area was in the shape of a triangle with the beach forming the base and the larger canyon the apex. A number of rocks sticking out of the sand formed a spine that roughly divided the area in half running from the apex to the beach.

Harry decided to approach two men who were discussing some planned activity.

"Excuse me, gentlemen,", Harry said in greeting. "We are new to the area and were wondering if you could give us some information. I'm Harry Potter, this is Ranma Saotome, Hermione Granger, and Xian Pu."

"Greetings!", one of the men replied. "My name is Coy Baomar and this is my associate, Soril Isaran. Welcome to the Dead River Docks! What kind of information are you looking for?"

"We are here to investigate the activities of the gnolls and to see what may have stirred up the walking dead in the south part of the Thundering Steppes.", Harry explaned.

"Damn, I was hoping you were here to hunt centaurs!", Coy exclaimed. "The foul creatures killed my brother while he was delivering supplies to Thundermist Village. Soril and I are here to enact vengeance. But that's our problem. As for yours, I don't know much but for the gnolls, you should seek out someone in Thundermist Village as the village is fairly close to the places the gnolls are infesting. As far as the undead, probably your best bet is to talk to Reinkor McCollin who is down by the General Store."

"Where is the Thundermist Village located?", Hermione inquired.

"Well, the easiest way to it is to take the griffin at the end of the docks.", Coy answered. "It flies you over the same route you would travel on foot but is a lot faster and safer. No young bears, gnolls, centaurs, or other hostiles can get to you on griffin back."

"Thank you, sir.", Hermione said with a slight shudder which nobody but Harry picked up on.

"Yes, thank you very much.", Harry added. "We best be off. Good luck with your hunt."

After they walked out of earshot of the two men, Harry said, "Don't worry, Hermione. It will be like riding Buckbeak. You should have no problem."

"With Buckbeak, I had you to hold on to which made all the difference.", Hermione said with a smile.

"Well, I know it won't be as good but you can hold on to me.", Shampoo grinned,

"I'll just have to charge up with a Harry kiss before we go!", Hermione said and grabbed Harry, pulling him into a long, passionate kiss."

"Too, too good idea!", Shampoo smirked and did the same to Ranma.

After several minutes where people just looked at them and walked around, the kisses ended.

"If we keep that up, we will have to get a room before we even get off the docks!", Harry exclaimed. Ranma just smiled a goofy smile.

"Well, girls, be careful. We will want more of that later!", Harry said with a smirk.

"You boys be careful as well so we can give it to you.", Hermione commanded as she and Shampoo set off down the docks. The guys stood watching them for a moment before shaking themselves and going in search of their contact.

As the girls reached the end of the pier, off to the right they saw a creature that seemed to be half eagle in front, half lion in back and the size of a large horse. Correctly assuming this was the griffin, they walked over to speak to the man standing next to it.

"Hello, sir!", Shampoo said. "Can the griffin take us to Thundermist Village? And can we both ride the same griffin?"

"Yes to both.", the man said smiling. "There is a griffin station at the village and she is able to carry a barbarian in plate armor with no trouble. You two are much smaller and lighter."

"Is there much chance of falling off?", Hermione asked nervously.

"Not unless you jump.", the station keeper assured her. "Sometimes people do if the flight passes over where they want to go but I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a feather fall spell active on yourself. But since you are going station to station, you shouldn't need to do that."

"Ok, I guess we are ready.", Hermione said. "How much is the ride?"

"The service is sponsored by the Far Seas Trading Company and the Qeynos government.", the station keeper said. "Climb on, I'll let her know where you are going, and you will be one your way."

The girls mounted the winged creature and the station keeper gave her a command. With a leap, they were airborne and climbing. Shortly after takeoff, the griffin veered right into a narrow pass with a trail at the bottom. They were low enough to see antelope, some very large beetles, some hawks, and an occasional traveler.

As they exited the pass, they flew into a broad area that had obviously once been farmland but that was before some thing had created huge craters in the fields, craters large enough to hold a dozen sports stadiums. The girls figured they were impact craters from the cataclysm that occurred when Lucien broke up. Because of some kind of fog, they were not able to see what was in the craters but they could see some dog like bipeds and some centaurs as well as bears, beetles, antelope, and an occasional lion.

Their flight was now following a paved road headed west and passed over an apparent guard tower where another similar road headed south. Still heading west, the griffin and the road below entered a narrower valley. Following this for a while lead them past another large crater where the impact had been on a mountain. This crater now held a lake with more animals, dog men, and centaurs around it.

The road, valley, and griffin took a left turn and headed south where the girls could see a small village up ahead. As they began the descent to the griffin station, the main road turned back west following a somewhat wider valley. The griffin touched down and the girls climbed off her back. With the permission of the station keeper, they petted her a bit before climbing down the tower.

After asking a guard at the edge of the village who to talk to, the girls were directed to Tobias Vreldig, one of the village council members. Locating him next to one of the shops, they introduced themselves.

"Mr. Vreldig, we are here to investigate some reports that the gnolls are causing more problems than normal.", Hermione informed him. "We would appreciate it if you could fill us in on anything you know."

"I'd like you to investigate them out of existence!", the councilor replied. "They have been nothing but trouble since they moved into the area. Here lately, they have been abducting travelers along the Thundermist Road using some kind of teleport spell."

"What do they do to the captives?", Hermione asked.

"We don't know!", Tobias said in a distressed tone. "Only one person has managed to escape and she was so incoherent that we couldn't get anything out of her. Her sister came to fetch her and it was all we could do to get her on the griffin to the docks so her sister could get her back to Qeynos. Something frightened her badly!"

"Where are they doing the captures?", Hermione wanted to know.

"Closest place is north of here next to the Mirror.", Tobias replied. "There are reports of them doing it a ways west of the guard tower at the road to Bridge Keep and just inside Thundermist Valley." Seeing the puzzled looks on the girls faces, he continued. "The Mirror is the crater with the lake in it you flew by just before the griffin turned south toward our station. You flew over the guard tower and road a while before that. Thundermist Valley is due west of the station although a bit of a ride."

"Thank you, sir.", Hermione said gratefully. "We are new to the area and the information is most helpful. Is there anything else you can tell us about what we might encounter?"

"I'm afraid I don't have time right now.", Tobias answered. "But it is getting late so let me see if Holly Rowan can put you up for the night. Her husband is a patroller and is often gone. She may appreciate the company and she knows the area as well as anyone."

Tobias lead them to a house near the north edge of the village where he introduced them to Holly and confirmed they could stay the night. Holly soon had them sitting in her kitchen with a cup of the local tea.

"Tobias tells me that you two are investigating what the gnolls are up to and would like to be briefed on what you may encounter in the area.", Holly said and at the girls nod, continued. "First, I guess, the gnolls. There are three clans in the Steppes, the Sabertooth, the Skindancer, and the Splitpaw. The first two will attack you on sight, the third is more peaceful and will not bother you unless you bother them first. We have even done some trading with them although they haven't been seen in the Steppes lately. The Sabertooth clan is in the northern part of the Steppes and are the ones doing the kidnapping. The Skindancers are down around Coldwind Cove. The Splitpaw had a den in that same area but like I said, they haven't been seen in a while."

"As for other things you need to watch out for, most of the animals won't bother you but look out for the young bears in the northern Steppes, most wolves anywhere, lions everywhere, and the wild griffins in Thundermist Valley. Along the Dead River Basin and southeast of the Southeast Griffin Station, you will find skeletons and zombies all of which attack on sight. In the water along the coasts, there are sirens that will attack you. A tribe of giants lives south of the Thundermist Valley and north of the Skindancers. They do **not** like 'little' people."

"The centaurs will probably leave you alone even though they have been trying drive us out since they arrived. There are two tribes, the Steelhoof and the Amazon. All the males belong to the Steelhoof tribe, the females belong to the Amazon. Both tribes are part of what they call the Great Herd and are fierce in combat. The centaurs have two camps: one in the southwest corner of Thundermist Valley and the other down by Coldwind Station."

Hermione dug out her maps and Holly spent a few minutes marking the areas she had discussed. She also searched around and found a language tome for the gnoll language so the girls would be able to understand them. After that, they settled down into a discussion of husbands, life in the Steppes and at home, names for children, and other wonders of the universe.

**[Second Day, The Thundering Steppes, Gnoll Problem]  
**

The next morning, after breakfast with Holly and her family, sans husband, the girls set off to check out the area around the Mirror. Not five minutes past the Griffin Station, they discovered that the young bears were indeed a royal P.I.T.A. After killing several that attacked, they started taking them out at range. This usually only required one shot by Shampoo and one spell from Hermione.

About mid-morning, they caught sight of a gnoll encampment and decided to check it out invisibly. After Hermione cast Invisible on them and Silence on their feet with her wand, the girls held hands and entered the camp. After a quick but through look, they retreated back to their hiding spot.

"I saw no prisoners and nothing special in the camp.", Hermione said.

"Neither did I.", Shampoo agreed. "Let's go a bit further down the road to the east."

"Ok. We also need to stay away from any gnolls.", Hermione returned. "I saw a few of them sniffing the air and I don't know any spells to hide our scent."

"Good thing I'm not cat-girl at the moment!", Shampoo replied. "Probably really set dog-men off."

Awhile later, near the eastern edge of the crater that contained the Mirror, they found another camp. This one was different in that it had a structure formed of what looked like dragon rib bones planted tip up in a semicircle with the curve of the rib to the center. As the girls watched, a gnoll walked up to the structure, touched a glowing stone, and vanished. A few minutes later, he or another dressed just like him, reappeared next to the structure.

"A teleporter of some kind then.", Hermione commented. "Do we let ourselves get captured or sneak in?"

"Sneak. Too too much risk in letting them capture us.", Shampoo stated. "A good warrior takes as few risks as possible."

Hermione nodded and summoned Jane. She used her wand to disillusion and muffle the three of them. She and Shampoo grabbed each other's hands so they would stay together without having to make any sounds. Jane could sense Hermione and follow without contact being needed. Being careful to stay away from any gnolls, the girls crept to the teleporter and touched the glowing stone.

Suddenly they were in a big cavern next to an identical teleporter set on a raised portion of the floor. Fortunately, there were no gnolls near them although they could see them around the edges of the room, all busy with something or another. The girls carefully moved down the ramp to the main floor towards the only apparent exit from the room, trying to stay as far as possible from the dog-men as possible.

As they were about to leave the room, a gnoll entered carrying a bucket, tripped, and splashed water all over them. Not only did Shampoo transform to her cat-girl form, but the liquid outlined their forms, making them visible.

"Stupid water attraction curse!", Shampoo muttered.

"Intruders! Get them!", the gnoll that had just splashed them shouted. A group of nearby dog-men looked around and charged.

"Oh bloody hell!", Hermione thought as she began casting her AE spells. "_Language, Hermione!_", Harry said with a mental smirk. "_Oh hush you, I'm busy!_", she returned with a huff.

Shampoo leaped forward with dual swords flashing while Jane began casting crowd control spells.(1) Hermione assisted Shampoo with targeted spells and the occasional dagger strike if an enemy got too close to her. With Jane assisting when she wasn't busy with Mesmerizing the enemy, the attacker were soon destroyed.

"That looks to be the last of them, Mistress.", Jane said shocking Hermione.

"I didn't know you could speak!", Hermione said with a gasp.

"I couldn't until just a while ago.", Jane informed her. "Each time you have called me forth, I have gotten stronger and have been better able to analyze situations. The longer I'm out the better it gets."

"Then I won't dismiss you anymore!", Hermione gushed. "It will be like having the sister I've always wanted! And call me Hermione, not Mistress. If you are becoming more independent, I don't want you to be a slave!"

"Very well, Hermione.", Jane said with a curtsey. Shampoo giggled.

Deciding that since Shampoo was now a cat and the gnolls could probably smell her easily, the girls cautiously entered the passage out of the chamber. After a while, it opened up into a larger chamber with another teleporter, this one without the glowing stones.

"This appears to be a mine!", Hermione said in a low voice. "Although this part seems to be played out and used for storage."

"Why don't you cast the spell to check for the dark crystals?", Shampoo asked. Pulling her wand, Hermione did so.

"There seems to be dark crystal all over the place to the south of us!", she said with excitement. "I bet that is what they are mining! The dark crystals are supposed to be from Lucien and the craters are from impacts of pieces of it. These tunnels are probably under the Mirror!"

"Could be.", Shampoo said. "Though it looks like we will have to fight our way across to find out." She nodded at the gnolls in the distance.

"It is going to be a long day", Hermione said with a sigh.

After fighting their way to the south side of the large chamber, the girls discovered the passage there blocked by magic resistant dragon bones so they had to fight to the west side of the chamber to find an exit. This lead to a twisty, uneven, up and down tunnel which had to be frequently be cleared of gnolls before they could proceed. Thankfully, the gnolls had the tunnel well lit.

Late in the afternoon, the passage opened out into a larger space. After clearing out a few gnolls, the girls found an out of the way spot at the end of a short dead-end tunnel and set up their tent. After setting some wards and protective spells, they chatted for awhile, checked in with the others, duplicated a sleeping bag for Jane, and retired for the night.

**[Third Day, The Thundering Steppes, Gnoll Problem]  
**

After a peaceful night, undisturbed until the alarm woke them, the girls woke and began their day. Although they longed for the facilities of the Tent, they made do with a little magical help and set out to continue their explorations.

The space they had entered the night before was a lobe of an even larger space. Heading south, they eventually came to a side chamber that was closed off with dragon ribs. Inside they discovered a halfling man.

"Hail might adventurers!", the halfling said. "Could you please free me before the gnolls work me to death or I go crazy!"

"How did you end up in here?", Hermione said as she levitated him over the wall.

"I was on my way from Bridge Keep with a message when a gnoll grabbed me!", he said. "The next thing I know, I'm here being forced to mine this crystal. Something keeps me from recalling home while in here and the crystal is either going to kill me or drive me nuts. That or the gnolls will if I break too many pieces. Names Buggo by the way, ranger by trade."

"Well, Buggo, I'm Hermione and this is Xian.", Hermione told him. "If you still can't recall, there is a teleporter north of here. "I can give you a sword I picked up but if would probably be best if you used stealth to get to it." She handed him a sword she had taken off a gnoll.

"Thank you, ladies!", Buggo said. "If you ever need anything, look me up in Qeynos or at the Bridge Keep. Now lets see if the recall will work out here!" He began casting a spell. "Hooray, it works." With that, he faded from view.

The cavern turned to the east after Buggo's prison and the girls began to notice water dripping from the ceiling.

"Purrfect!", Shampoo growled. "I'm already cat-girl but cats hate being wet!"

"This would seem to indicate that we are under the Mirror or at least some ground water.", Hermione commented. "I wonder if we could flood this place?"

"Be fun getting out then.", Shampoo said.

"I could side-along apparate you back to Thundermist Village", Hermione explained. "I couldn't take Jane, though."

"Hermione, if you are there, I can move to you.", Jane informed her.

"We'll keep that as an option then.", Hermione said.

The cavern turned back to the north and the girls noticed large chunks of dark crystal in the ceiling with some in the walls. A group of gnolls seemed to be working carving a chunk of the crystal at the north end of the chamber.

"We seem to have discovered where at least some of the crystal comes from.", Hermione whispered. "We need to take care of those gnolls and then see if we can destroy the mine."

"I think so too.", Shampoo whispered back. "Those crystals make too too much trouble."

The girls crept as close as they could with out risking being smelled. As the gnolls appeared to finish their carving, Hermione and Jane began casting area effect (AE) spells as Shampoo fired her bow at the apparent leader of the five dog-men. The gnolls spun around, briefly surprised.

"Intruders! Get them! We need more slaves!", the leader barked.

Shampoo leaped forward with her swords spinning and engaged the leader as the other two began crowd control and casting a spell to support Shampoo as they could. The leader attempted to stab Shampoo but she parried it and slashed his forearm causing him to drop the blade. He dropped back and pulled a knife from his belt and began casting a spell. Shampoo moved in on him, attempting to behead him. He managed to dodge although his spell was interrupted. A back slash took his arm off costing him the knife. Before he could recover, Shampoo ripped through his throat and he would cast no more spells.

While Shampoo was busy with the leader, Hermione picked his goons off one by one while Jane maintained Root and Mesmerize on the them so they couldn't effectively counter attack. As soon as Shampoo finished the boss, she joined Hermione in dispatching the remainder of the gnolls.

"That will teach him to try and make a slave of me!", Shampoo said as she cleaned her swords. "Now what do we do about all this crystal?"

"First we destroy this runed piece the gnolls were working on." Hermione replied as she searched the dead gnolls, finding a few coins and some papers in Gnollish.

"Easily done!", Shampoo said as she took out a mace and did so.

"Wow, dusty!", Hermione exclaimed. "I better cast some bubble head charms before I blast the crystal in the ceiling! Too bad I can't cast shields while I'm doing that."

"I can cast the shields, Hermione.", Jane said as she pulled a wand identical to Hermione's from her clothes. "Mine should hold well enough."

"You even have my Earth magic?!", Hermione said gaping.

"Yes, Hermione.", Jane replied. "Just not as powerful although I'm getting stronger."

"That's fantastic!", Hermione gushed. "We need to talk to Daphne and Luna about this!"

"So what are we going to do?", Shampoo wanted to know.

"If you would use your mace to bash those crystals you can reach, after I cast the Bubble Head charm on you, I'll use the blasting curse on the higher ones on the wall.", Hermione replied. "Jane will shield you from any debris. After we are done with the walls, come back here and take a firm hold of my belt just in case we have to apparate out quickly."

Hermione cast the breathing charm on the three of them and they began executing the plan Hermione had outlined. It took about an hour to do the walls with the occasional interruption from a wandering gnoll. When Shampoo rejoined them, they took a short break to eat and rest a bit, then Hermione started in on the smaller deposits in the ceiling. As she began to work her way to the larger ones, water started to stream from the holes. The girls looked at each other and climbed on top of a rock that was taller than they were.(2) Hermione resumed her blasting until only two large crystals remained. Making sure Jane was holding the shields for them, she destroyed the smaller of the two. Immediately, a large torrent of water began poring into the mine. She quickly blasted the last one, grabbed hold of Shampoo, turned on her heel, and disappeared.

She and Shampoo reappeared at the base of the griffin tower in Thundermist Village.

"That was too, too unpleasant!", Shampoo growled. "I much prefer sliding. It doesn't feel like I'm being forced through a small hole!"

"I agree!", Hermione replied. "But sliding wouldn't get us we needed to be. Where's Jane? She said she could follow me!"

Before Hermione could get too worried, Jane popped up next to them. "I stayed behind for a few seconds to see what was happening.", she told them. "It looks like the mine will be totally flooded. It take them a lot of work to get it back in operation, if they ever do."

"That's good to know but please don't take chances you don't have to!", Hermione said. "Even though I can bring you back, I don't want you hurt.!" She reached in her pack and pulled out the papers she had taken off the gnoll. "Let's set up camp and see what these say."

Deciding not to impose on Holly, the girls set up camp near the tower and prepared their meal. After eating, they went over the papers.

"These are instructions for carving the runes to attract undead and bind them to the area around the dark crystals.", Hermione noted. "There are also orders to set one in place to finish sealing the 'traitorous' Splitpaw in their den and cut them off from the outside."

"So tomorrow, we go check up on the Splitpaw clan?", Shampoo asked.

"The crystals already placed need to be destroyed anyway.", Jane replied. "Helping the Splitpaws is an added benefit."

After reporting in, the girls spent the time until bedtime talking about life and what they wanted out of it. Ranma would have been surprised.

**[Fourth Day, The Thundering Steppes, Gnoll Problem]  
**

The next morning, the girls took the griffin to Coldwind Cove Station which was the nearest station to the entrance to the Splitpaw den. The griffin first headed west toward the Thundermist Valley that they had been told about. As they flew out over the valley, they could see a great many lions, centaurs, beetles, antelope, and various other creatures. In the sky over the valley were wild griffins including one that seemed to be twice the size of the rest. Their griffin flew past them unmolested and Hermione wondered if the griffins didn't bother other griffins or there was some kind of notice-me-not spell in play. The valley also showed scars of the cataclysm in the form of several impact craters, some with water, some dry. In the distance to the west, they could barely make out a sea shore.

The griffin headed south toward a pass in the wall of the valley. The girls gasped as they saw the giants guarding it. Standing next to one of them, the girls would have barely come up to the ankle. Fortunately, the giants too paid them no mind as the griffin exited the pass into another valley, this one cut in several places by dry river beds. The first 'island' they flew over contained the giants' village and another crater. The second contained a gnoll camp that the girls assumed to belong to the Skindancer clan. As they were approaching the griffin tower, there was a centaur camp off to the east. Based on the information Holly had given them, the girls figured if they didn't bother them, the centaurs would leave them alone.

The Skindancer gnolls were a different story. Although, Hermione, Shampoo, and Jane were cloaked from sight and sound, an occasional wandering gnoll would get whiff of them and attack fiercely. They saw some kind of alter surrounded by gnolls in the distance but since there was no indication of the crystal trace, the girls stayed well away from it.

It was late afternoon when the girls reached the entrance to the den and managed to slip inside. The largish room was apparently where the runed crystal was to be placed but that wasn't going to happen now. They decided to take advantage of the fact that there were no monsters or anything else in the room to set up camp. It had been a long flight followed by almost constant fights and the girls were pooped. After placing the wards, eating a meal, and talking a bit, they retired for the night.

**[Fifth Day, The Thundering Steppes, Gnoll Problem]  
**

Climbing out of their bedrolls the next morning, the girls breakfasted and broke camp. The entrance chamber had only one passage leading out of it, other than the exit to the outside, so they followed it north. As they got further from the entrance, they began to hear rather unnerving sounds. They could just see what appeared to be an open space ahead when a ghostly spider the size of a large dog came around the corner ahead, seemed to notice them, and attacked!

Shampoo jumped ahead and pulled her swords, slashing at the eerie arachnid. Although she connected, the strikes did no visible damage. Hermione and Jane cast Brain Burst at it and it staggered back. Jane followed up with a root which seem to hold it while Hermione cast Ultraviolet Beam which also seemed to hurt it.

"How am I suppose to fight ghost spider when my weapons go through it!?", Shampoo growled as she dodged it and it knocked a few rocks off the wall.

"Well, it can hit us so you should be able to hit it!", Hermione returned. "Maybe as it is attacking?"

"Can you fire an energy blast like I've seen Ranma do?", Jane asked as she began casting Nightmare.

"No, I'm not that good but I **can** charge my weapons with ki!", Shampoo replied. Her weapons began to glow slightly and she lunged at the specter. This time her hits were much more effective and with two more slashes, she finished the wraith.(3)

"I would have never expected a spider to form a ghost when it died.", Hermione commented. "Then again, there weren't spiders that big on Earth either."

"For which I an too too thankful!", Shampoo said shaking her head.

The passage the girls were following entered a large chamber with a deep chasm in front of them and two possible paths along the side they were standing on. After doing battle with a trio of ghost bats, they decided to take the left path which headed mostly west as there was a strong trace in that direction.

In a little while, they came to a crevice that had two wide boards placed across it with a wooden crate at the other end to allow stepping up the higher side. Hermione looked at the makeshift bridge and shivered. She took out her wand and transfigured it into a nice wooden footbridge with guard rails and steps at the high end.(4)

"How long will this last?", Shampoo inquired.

"A while because I didn't change the material, just restructured it.", Hermione replied. "And anchored the ends to the stone.", she added as an afterthought.

The path entered a tunnel which they followed for a short while until it opened out into a large cavern. As they entered the cavern, they were attacked by two mushroom men which they quickly defeated. Determining that being more stealthy was a good idea, Hermione applied the Disillusion and Sound charms to allow them to hopefully sneak past anymore mushroom people.

The three began exploring the cave keeping physical contact and avoiding getting to close to the mushroom people they encountered. The large room appeared to contain a village of the mobile fungi but nothing that the trio were interested in. When they could in hidden or out of the way spots, Hermione cast the trace which was now pointing more north than west. Finally they came to the end of the cavern without finding any other exits. After a whispered conference, they crept back to Hermione's bridge, canceled the charms, and returned to the entrance tunnel.

"Well, the only path left is the eastern one,", Shampoo commented. "Unless we want to jump down into the crevice."

"Not a good idea since we don't know how deep it is or what would be waiting for us.", Hermione replied. "While east is the direction that ghost spider came from, we don't really have a better choice."

"Let's go then!"

The path on the ledge soon entered a downward sloping tunnel infested with a number of ghost spiders which the girls dispatched with little trouble. At the end of the tunnel, the entered another cave room containing more ghost spiders and bats, some dead Splitpaw gnolls, and some hostile gnolls that were not from one of the clans that Holly described. The live gnolls were up on a ledge doing something the trio couldn't see and had not yet noticed the newcomers. Occasionally, a ghost of what appeared to be a Splitpaw gnoll drifted through but these were not hostile.

The spider and bat wraiths were though and began attacking when they noticed the girls. Shampoo now had her ghost fighting techniques down now and with Jane doing crowd control, she and Hermione destroyed all of the attacking ghosts in the room. Strangely, the gnolls didn't seem to pay any attention until the trio had eliminated the phantoms and moved toward them. Then they began using ranged attacks which Jane shielded against allowing the other two girls to return fire. A combination of targeted attacks and area effect spells soon had the gnolls defeated.

Jane transfigured some nearby crates into a ladder allowing Shampoo to climb up and investigate.

"There is one of those dark crystals with runes carved into it up here!", she called down. "Nothing else except some barrels with what appear to be fuses sticking out of them."

"Smash the crystal, of course!", Hermione replied. "I would leave the barrels. I don't think we want to be carrying around explosives! We don't know how safe they are and I don't want to find out the hard way!"

"I agree.", Jane added. "Besides, our wands can do any blasting we need."

"Fine with me.", Shampoo said as she powdered the crystal with her mace.

After Shampoo climbed back down, the girls looked around the room for an exit other than the one they entered by. There were none visible but a flat section of wall drew Hermione's attention.

"This wall does not appeared to be natural.", she observed. "Maybe a passage has been walled over?"

"So, you want to try blasting it?", Shampoo asked.

"Yes. If Jane will shield us from flying debris, I'll see if I can knock it down.", Hermione answered.

Jane cast her shield and Hermione let loose with a Blasting spell. The wall dissolved into shards leave a hole large enough for the three of them to walk through side by side. As soon as the dust settled, Jane Vanished the rubble.

The opening lead to a twisty passageway with a floor that sloped down then up again before entering yet another large room. The girls used their stealth spells to enter the room quietly and observe, hopefully with out being noticed themselves. While there were some of the ever present ghosts, most of the rooms occupants were living gnolls of an unknown (to the girls) clan who seemed to be conducting mining operations plus another batch up on a ledge. There were also Splitpaw bodies in several locations.

Unfortunately for the trio's planned reconnaissance, some of the gnolls could see them, judging by the red aura they had so they ducked back into the passageway to discuss tactics.

"There are too too many for us to fight head on.", Shampoo observed. "Even with you both doing Mesmerize and Root, we would be overwhelmed."

"I agree!", Hermione said with a grimace. "What we need is a way to limit the number that can come at us at once. Any ideas?"

"There is a lot of mining debris just outside of this passage.", Jane noted. "Could we use that somehow?"

"Brilliant! I can transfigure it into a wall with a small gap!", Hermione exclaimed. "That will allow us to deal with one or two at a time."

"What if they have some of those explosive barrels?", Shampoo wondered. "Or if they have something they can throw over it? We also need room to fight."

"I can make it out of thick granite with a roof.", Hermione answered. "Something like half an igloo but bigger and stone. It won't stop ghosts so we would have to deal with them if they came through but nothings perfect."

"We can send out our limited avatars outside the wall to attack the gnolls.", Jane suggested. "That would make sure they don't just ignore us and maybe we won't have to deal with as many."

"Hmm. Maybe we should have some arrow slots so we can cast spells through the wall as well.", Hermione pondered. "High enough that they can't be used to attack us."

"It sounds like we have a plan!", Shampoo said. "Let's do it!"

The girls crept out of the passage and Hermione began casting with a firm picture in her mind of what she wanted. A few of the gnolls saw her and started moving toward her, yelling for their fellows. However, before they could get close enough to attack, a half dome sealed up against the rock around the passage formed. Inside was a walkway to reach the firing ports and Hermione had included the tunnel entrance characteristic of igloos. Shampoo took a position to the side of the dome's entrance and readied her swords. The other two girls climbed onto the walkway and peered through the slots.

Outside, the gnolls had halted, concerned about the sudden appearance of the structure. After a brief conversation, a couple of them headed off to the side. A few minutes later they returned with two barrels. Jane saw this and cast Fireball at the barrels, causing them to explode. The gnolls became very ticked off and rushed the dome.

Jane thought for a second and began transfiguring some of the loose rocks around the dome into lions and tigers. Hermione saw this and began doing the same although slower as the dome had taken a lot out of her. Shampoo fired a few arrows through the entrance and braced herself for the income dog-men. The two mages added their avatars to the mix.

It was a slaughter. The gnolls were having to attack a fortified position with an enemy at their back. Even though they were able to kill the big cats, the girls replaced them faster than they died and the gnolls had no such replacements. In the end, the cats chased down the last few gnolls as they tried to run and it was over. The few ghost in the area didn't factor into the battle except for one bat that came through the dome wall and was rooted and mezzed until the girls had time to deal with it.

The trio was exhausted and the mages were a bit drained. Hermione passed out Pepper Up potions which helped but they decided to rest a bit and eat before continuing.

"How long is this going to last?", Shampoo asked, waving at the dome.

"I don't know.", Hermione answered. "I put a lot of power into it and the source was already rock. Months, years maybe? Unless I dispel it of course."

"Let's leave it for now.", Jane said. "We might need a place to retreat to."

"Sounds like a plan."

After recovering their strength and eating, they exited the dome and began exploring. Shampoo leaped up to the ledge where some of the gnolls had been and found another crystal, which she destroyed. Hermione and Jane destroyed two bat wraiths while searching for another exit. They found two possible: another apparently unnatural wall and a hole in the floor with steps leading down.

Deciding to check out the hole first, the girls climbed down the steps to find a crooked passageway that alternated between sloping down and up. In it the encountered a few gnolls that appeared to be mining something. The gnolls objected to their presence and were quickly killed. Finally reaching what seemed to be the bottom, they entered a large room with a large skeleton ribcage, probably from a dragon.

Fighting through the room with the skeleton, they eventually came to another artificial wall. Blasting through it, the trio found a short tunnel into a room filled with zombie like gnolls.

"Jane, could you conjure a stonewall about head height big enough for all of us to hide behind?", Hermione requested. "I'm going to try a spell that I may loose control of and that will buy us time to retreat out of range."

"Sure, Hermione.", Jane replied and created the wall.

"If I tell you to run, run back past the last wall we broke through.", Hermione instructed. "Get behind the wall and be ready!"

When the other two had complied, Hermione stepped from behind the wall and yelled, "**Fiend Fire**" The living flame leaped from her wand and began seeking targets among the undead creatures in front of the wall, leaping from zombie to zombie until all were in flames and quickly reduced to ash. She then canceled the spell and looked to make sure it hadn't escaped her bonds. Seeing only normal flames, she sagged to the floor against the conjured wall, breathing hard.

"That takes a lot out of you, doesn't it.", Shampoo noted.

"Yes, and it can attack the caster if you are not careful.", Hermione replied. "Still it beats fighting all those creepy monsters one by one." She downed a Pepper Up potions. "Let's get with it."

Searching the room, they found a ledge at the far end with some dead snake like creatures that seemed to be made of stone that apparently the fire had killed. Creating a ladder, the girls climbed up on to the ledge and found another dark crystal which Shampoo quickly destroyed.

Since it was late in the afternoon and Hermione was still very tired, it was decided to camp there for the night and continue in the morning.

**[Sixth Day, The Thundering Steppes, Gnoll Problem]  
**

In order for Hermione to recover fully, the girls got a late start the next morning. On the trip back to where they entered the lower area, they only encountered a few wandering ghost which were easily dealt with. Reaching the artificial wall they had found the day before, they blasted through it and entered the tunnel behind it. Following the tunnel to its end, they found yet another created wall which was blasted in turn.

Behind this was was what appeared to be a gnoll command post and supply depot. Deciding quickly that the fort up tactic they had used the previous day was the best choice, Hermione created the igloo fort and she and Jane sent out their furry minions except that Jane added a few bears for variety. Shampoo had no trouble keeping up with the few that managed to get through the entrance. When attacks ceased and the animals were just wandering around, the trio left their fort to look around. Being certified adventurers, they promptly looted anything of value from the camp.

On the far side of the camp, there was a crevice which board had been place so the space could be spanned at need although the boards had been withdrawn. Zooming in and out of the crevice were some kind of elemental beings that glowed red with hostility.

Deciding to reduce the number of the hostile creatures before trying to cross the crevice, the girls began attacking them with ranged attacks. It turned out, except for a nasty energy attack, the elementals were not two difficult to deal with. After they destroyed those elementals that were close by, Hermione transfigured the boards and crates laying about into another footbridge with steps and proper guardrails.

Once across, they found yet another artificial wall and were beginning to wonder who was so obsessed with walling things up. Blasting through this wall got them attacked by a gnoll and two collie sized spiders which Shampoo dealt with almost as soon as they attacked.

Through the wall was another room in which there was another ledge with some of the stone snakes, living this time, guarding it. The mages cast roots and area effect spells while Shampoo used her bow to good effect. After the short battle, Shampoo jumped up to the ledge and found another crystal. She threw it off the ledge to destroy it.

At the far end of the room, they found a tunnel leading down. After a brief discussion, they followed it to where it opened up into another large cavern. Immediately, they were accosted but not attacked by two guards.

"What humans doing in home of Splitpaw clan!", the larger of the two.

"We are searching for some evil crystals to destroy them.", Hermione replied. "We mean no harm to the Splitpaws."

"Grungepaw know of these crystals!", the gnoll said. "Cause Splitpaws to be trapped in den! You must see Chief Whitesnout at once! Follow Grungepaw!"(5)

With that, he turned and walked away. The girls shrugged and followed him.

He lead them through several tunnels into another large cavern and to a platform at the far end. Climbing the steps, he saluted a graying gnoll.

"Chief Whitesnout, these humans have come from upper tunnels and are seeking to find and destroy the evil crystals."

"Thank you, Grungepaw. You did well to bring them to me.", the chief told the guard. "You may return to your post now." Grungepaw saluted again and left.

"Even though he does not speak common well, Grungepaw is a smart pup.", the chief said turning to the girls. "Come, you must tell me of your mission!"

Hermione gave him an overview of why they were searching for the crystals. He scratched his chin and said, "This agrees with the signs our Shaman has read. He has warned us of a coming disaster that will befall us unless steps are taken to prevent it and that it would take help from beyond our world. Are you that help?"

"We are part of it.", Hermione told him. "We are part of a larger group and we were told that other groups would helping as well."

"Did you find any of the evil crystals in the upper tunnels?", the chief inquired.

"We found and destroyed four of them.", Hermione replied.

"Excellent!", the chief exclaimed. "We have been blocked in here for many months because of the undead in the upper tunnels, even before some of the tunnels were sealed off. Many of our scouts and messengers never returned."

"We saw several Splitpaw dead in the upper tunnels.", Shampoo told him. "That may have been some of the ones you sent out. If others got out, it is likely they would not have been able to return."

"I will morn for our deceased kinsmen.", the chief said solemnly. "Since you have opened the way to the surface up, I will send an armed party to recover their bodies."

"Do you know of any other locations that may have a crystal?", Hermione wanted to know.

"I am not sure but the area where the crawlers nest has been agitated in recent months.", the chief told her. They provide some of our food but of late they have been too aggressive for our hunters. Do you have a way of detecting the evil stones?"

"Yes, we have tracing spell.", Hermione informed him.

"Then I will show you the entrance to the crawler caverns.", the chief said. "If you find no trace, there is obligation for you to risk yourselves but you would do us a great service if you could kill the large female we call Queen Zkchriy."

"We will see what we can do.", Shampoo promised.

After leading them to the entrance, the chief turned to them and said, "I regret that I cannot spare anyone to accompany you but I no longer have any seasoned hunters that would have a chance of survive. I would go myself but at my age I fear that I would be more hindrance than help."

Hermione cast the trace. "There appears to be at least one crystal in that direction.", she informed the group. "So I guess we go crawler hunting."

"Be most careful, young humans!", the chief extolled them. "The crawlers have a vicious, poisonous bite and can ensnare you so you can not move! I ask that when you are done, you come see me so that I know of your success."

"We will be pleased to do so, Chief Whitesnout.", Shampoo assured him. "Thank you for your help."

The tunnel the girls entered varied in width, height, slope, and direction, curving around from a westerly heading to northerly to southeasterly. A the point the cave took a sharp turn to due south and back east, they encountered a large spider with a body about the size of a St Bernard dog. The spider was of course, hostile and attacked with a speed that belied its size. It tried several times to hit them with webbing but the trio managed to dodge. Shampoo killed it by leaping on its back and putting a sword through its head.

"Well, we know what a 'crawler' is now.", Shampoo said.

"Yeah, good thing Ron's not with us.", Hermione replied. "He'd be half way to the docks by now."

"Who is Ron?", Shampoo wanted to know. "Old boyfriend?"

"Sort of.", Hermione grimaced. "Ron Weasley is a wizard Harry and I thought was a friend. To be fair, I'm not sure if he was giving me the love potions keyed to him or not but someone was. He has been a fair weather friend in the past and is deathly afraid of spiders."

"Sound like you and your 'sisters' need to have a talk with him when you get back!", Shampoo said. Jane nodded her head.

"Well, that's for the future.", Hermione said. "Now we have a crystal to find and destroy, not to mention, spiders to kill."

The girls continued following the cave to the east, encountering and killing a few of the giant spiders as they went. At the end of a wider section of the cave, the passage forked with one branch going south and the other northeast. Since the trace showed a crystal to the north, they followed the northeasterly one. Shortly after that, they came upon a spider that saw them and scurried off as if it wanted nothing to do with them. The girls looked at one another and shrugged.

Beyond the cowardly spider was another fork with northerly and northeasterly branches. Following the north tunnel soon had them headed back west into a larger section. After clearing out the spiders, they continued on until the passage ended. Hermione sighed and they returned to the last fork and took the other branch. That passage went on for a while with the trio performing the usual mayhem on the spiders. Another split gave them a choice of north or south which because the trace now pointed northwest, they choose north.

After a brief fight in a pool which transformed Shampoo into a cat-girl again, they entered a large room shaped vaguely like a swashbuckler's boot with the toe pointed north. When they had cleared out enough spiders to have some breathing room, the girls sat down and rested.

"I wasn't fond of spiders before but now I'm sick of them!", Shampoo said looking at her spattered armor with disgust.

"I can see your point.", Hermione said with a tired giggle. "We can clean up after we are done. Won't do any good to do it now. Do you want some hot water to change back?"

"No point for now.", she was told. "Probably just get splashed again. We can do it just before we see the chief again. Where is the trace pointing now?"

Jane cast the spell and said, "Mostly west. Are we ready to go?"

"Let me get something to drink first.", Hermione said. "Anybody need a Pepper Up potion?"

Receiving negative responses, Hermione downed her drink and stood up. The other two followed her example.

"What should we do about those?", Jane asked, pointing to what looked like large eggs in the toe of the 'boot'"

"Hmm. There are hundreds of eggs there.", Hermione noted. If we just leave them, they will hatch and possibly overwhelm the Splitpaws. I say we lob some Fireballs in that direction and reduce the number significantly. I'm sure the few spiders we've missed can make more."

"Sounds like too too good idea.", Shampoo grinned.

Hermione and Jane cast several Fireball spells at the eggs which left that part of the cave in flames. That done, the girls headed west. The top of the 'boot' narrowed down into a tunnel. In a while, the tunnel narrowed sharply, then opened into a huge room filled with giant spiders and egg sacs.

Without pausing, Hermione created her domed fort except with no door.

"I think we should stick with a ranged approach for a while!", she said with a grimace. "There are so many of them that we are going to have to rest at some point and the door is a weak point."

"I agree!", Shampoo said. "I've got plenty of arrows and we have the rest of the afternoon. We should take turns resting so that there is always someone attacking."

"That makes sense.", Hermione agreed. "Jane, you rest first and you can relieve Shampoo when she tires."

"No, Hermione.", Jane responded. "You just cast a large transfiguration and need to recover. You rest first."

"You're right, Jane.", Hermione conceded. "Change out every fifteen minutes or so?

"That will do at first.", Shampoo said. "Depending on how the battle goes, we may have to have two resting while the other maintains the offense."

Jane and Shampoo took their places at the arrow slots and began the battle. They first had to clear the spiders off that were trying to come through the narrow openings. That done, Jane transfigured any thing she could see into lions, tigers, wolves, and bears. Shampoo loosed arrow after arrow until she couldn't target any spiders. Hermione replaced her at the slot and began transfiguring spider bodies into attack animals.

Hours later, the attack animals were no longer finding anything to attack so the girls all set down to rest. Hermione passed around Pepper Up potions and they all downed them. After another thirty minutes with no sounds of battle, she opened up a door in the dome and Shampoo cautiously stuck her head out. She waved the others forward and stepped into a scene of major carnage.

There were bodies everywhere. Mostly spiders but also some of the animals that had not yet reverted to their original state. Following the trace, they came to the body of a spider that was as big as a compact car. Nearby was a dark crystal with runes carved in it. Shampoo sighed and bashed it with a mace turning it into powder.

"That's it then.", she said. "Time to report back to the chief."

"I guess we can clean up now.", Hermione said as she pulled her wand.

"Wait!", Shampoo commanded. "Is best to let chief see evidence of battle first!"

"I suppose you are right.", Hermione said, thinking. "Let me revert the dome and I'll apparate us back to the entrance. We can walk back to where he is at from there. No point in startling the chief or his guards. Here let me get you some hot water."

As they walked up to the chief, his eyes widened. "You show the signs of many battles. I am glad to see you well. How fared you mission?"

"We found the crystal and destroyed it.", Shampoo said tiredly. "It was next to a large spider which may have been the Queen you mentioned. Her body was wider than my arms will reach. We believe we killed most of the crawlers but we didn't enter every passage. We also destroyed a lot of egg sacs."

"You have done us a great service!", he exclaimed. He rummaged around in his pack for a minute and handed each of the girls an amulet. "These will identify you as friends of the Splitpaw clan. Here is also some coin as thanks to you. You are welcome to stay with us as long as you like. Feel free to look around. I must organize a party to see if we can recover some of the crawlers for our stores."

"Thank you, Chief Whitesnout, but we must be going.", Hermione said taking the coin. "We wish you and your clan well."

The trio bowed slightly and turned in the direction of the upper tunnels but when they got out of sight, Hermione cast a Cleaning charm. They then contacted Luna and Kasumi to confirm their location and slid to them.

**TBC** (6)**  
**

Footnotes:

(1) Some professions, especially Illusionists and Coercers, have special spells that stun or mesmerize enemies, taking them temporarily out of the fight.

(2) These rocks exist in game so I'm not just making them up for the convenience of the story although I would if I needed them. (grin)

(3) In the Everquest II game, ghosts are just like any other monster and can be hit with a sword or whatever. I do seem to recall when the game first launched, ghosts and other undead took only partial damage from physical attacks but, if so, that has changed. In this story's version of Norrath, ghosts are hard to hit.

(4) When I started this story, it had been years since one of my characters visited this zone and I had forgotten how annoying it is with weak crates you have to stack, boards you have to move, walls you destroy with explosive barrels you have to climb up to get. Hermione and/or Jane will just use their Earth magic to overcome these obstacles. Also, for this story, I may change the makeup of the monsters found in various locations.

(5) For my story, Semren Whitesnout is a chief of the Splitpaw clan.

(6) Yeah! I finished before August was over!


End file.
